Setting Health Goalsand MakingResponsible Decisions

• I will set health goals.• I will make responsible decisions.

Adesired achievement toward which a person works is a goal.A choice that a person makes is a decision. In this lesson, youwill learn steps to take to make ahealthful behavior intoa habit.

PhotoDisc/Getty Images

What You’ll Learn1. Discuss steps you can use to set

and reach a health goal. (p. 57)2. Discuss the two main goals

of Healthy People 2010. (p. 58)3. List the ten leading health

indicators that will be used to measure the health of thenation over the next ten years.(p. 59)

4. Describe three decision-making styles. (p. 60)

5. Outline the six steps in TheResponsible Decision-MakingModel. (p. 61)

6. Explain four steps to take if youmake a wrong decision. (p. 62)

Why It’s ImportantYou will have respect for yourselfand others will have respect foryou when you achieve healthgoals and form the habit ofmaking responsible decisions.

Key Terms• health goal• Healthy People 2010• life expectancy• leading health indicators• inactive decision-making style• reactive decision-making style• proactive decision-making style• Responsible Decision-Making

Model• wrong decision• restitution

56 UNIT 1 • Health Skills

Writing About Changing a Habit Suppose that every day afterschool, you eat five or six cookies or a bag of potato chips. You knowthese foods are not nutritious, but this is a habit you’ve had since fifthgrade. How should you go about changing this health habit? After youread the information about health goals on page 57, write in your healthjournal the steps you think you should take to change this habit.

6

Ahealthful behavior a person works to achieve and maintain

is a . A healthful behavior a person plans to

achieve in the near future is a . A

healthful behavior a person plans to achieve after a period of time is a

. Setting and achieving health goals helps you form healthful habits for a lifetime.

How to Set Health Goals

health goal

long-term

short-term health goal

health goal

1. Write your health goal. Write yourhealth goal in a short sentence begin-ning with “I will.” Review pages28–31 in this book for a list of possi-ble health goals. A long-term goalmay take a month, a year, or a life-time to accomplish. Long-term goalsoften can be broken down intosmaller, short-term goals, which areeasier to accomplish. For example,suppose your long-term health goal is“I will lose ten pounds.” A short-termhealth goal might be “I will lose twopounds each week.”

2. Make an action plan to meet yourhealth goal. An action plan is adetailed description of the steps youwill take to reach a goal. Some peopleuse a health behavior contract fortheir action plan. Refer to page 32 inthis book for how to make a healthbehavior contract. Have someone youtrust review it for you to see if it isrealistic.

3. Identify obstacles to your plan.Brainstorm obstacles that mightinterfere with carrying out your plan.Prioritize them from most to leastimportant and think of ways to workwith the most important ones.

4. Set up a timeline to accomplish yourhealth goal. Set a date for each point

along your action plan. When doesyour action plan begin? What is thedate you expect to achieve yourhealth goal? Have you considered allother obligations? Is your timelinerealistic?

5. Keep a chart or diary in which yourecord progress toward your healthgoal. Keep track of progress. Writingdown a goal helps you to stick to yourplan to accomplish it.

6. Build a support system. Make a listof people who will support you or beavailable for advice as you worktoward your health goal. Join a sup-port group or associate with otherswho are working toward the samehealth goal. Stay away from peoplewho might sabotage your health goal.

7. Revise your action plan or timeline,if necessary. Do not give up on ahealth goal. There are too many ben-efits that will come from reaching it.Give yourself more time or ask forthe help of others if you can’t makean action plan that works for you.

8. Reward yourself when you reachyour health goal. Once you’ve suc-ceeded in reaching your health goal,do something nice for yourself. Justmake certain your reward fits withyour new healthful lifestyle.

LESSON 6 • Setting Health Goals and Making Responsible Decisions 57

Make theConnectionHealth BehaviorContract For moreinformation aboutmaking a healthbehavior contract, seepage 32 in Lesson 3.

1. What is a long-term health goal?

2. Rather than giveup on a healthplan, what shouldyou do?

During the 1990s, groups of scientists produced a set of national health

goals and detailed plans to achieve them by the year 2010. The result,

, outlines goals for disease prevention and includes

twenty-eight health-promoting objectives for the nation to achieve by 2010. It also describes ten

leading health indicators that are currently the major health concerns for the United States.

The Goals of Healthy People 2010

Healthy People 2010

There are two main goals for HealthyPeople 2010.

Goal 1: To increase qualityand years of healthy lifeLife expectancy The average numberof years that people are expected tolive is called At thebeginning of the twentieth century, lifeexpectancy at birth was 47.3 years.One hundred years later, the averagelife expectancy is nearly 77 years. Lifeexpectancy continues to increase.People who are 65 years old today canexpect to live an average of 18 moreyears, for a total of 83.

Although life expectancy hasincreased, it is not what it could be inthe United States. At least 18 coun-tries with populations of one millionor more have life expectanciesgreater than the United States.

Quality of life Health-related qualityof life includes physical and mentalwell-being and the ways peoplerespond to their environment. Qualityof life is more difficult to measure thanlife expectancy. It might be measuredby having people describe their livesby rating their overall life as poor, fair,good, very good, or excellent.

A Healthy People 2010 reportfound that too many people reported

experiencing days of less than opti-mal health. For many people in thisnation, health-related quality of lifecould be better. Healthy People 2010hopes to see an increase in lifeexpectancy and improvement in thequality of life by helping peoplebecome more knowledgeable andmore motivated about the choicesthey can make to improve theirhealth.

Goal 2: To eliminate healthdisparities in the populationHealth disparities There are measur-able differences, or disparities, inopportunities for optimal health inthe United States. Some factors thatwere found to create health dispari-ties are gender, race and ethnicity,education and income level, disabil-ity status, sexual orientation, andwhether a person lives in a rural orurban area. For instance, individualswith less education are less likely tobe healthy than people with moreeducation. Injury rates are 40 per-cent higher for people living in com-munities with fewer than 2500residents than for people living inurban areas. Healthy People 2010promotes reducing such disparitiesin health by helping people accessvalid health information and care.

life expectancy.

58 UNIT 1 • Health SkillsPhotodisc/Getty Images

Longevity Japanranks first in lifeexpectancy for bothmen and women.

The Nation’s Top Ten HealthConcernsScientists will know if the nation’shealth has improved from 2000 to2010 by studying the

the ten national healthconcerns that will be evaluated duringthis period. What changes can youmake in your health behavior thatwould improve the nation’s health?

Ten Leading HealthIndicatorsPhysical activity Increase the num-ber of adolescents who engage in vig-orous physical activity.

Overweight and obesity Reduce thenumber of overweight or obese chil-dren and adolescents.

Tobacco use Reduce cigarette smok-ing in adolescents.

Substance abuse Increase the proportion of adoles-cents not using alco-hol or illicit drugs.

Responsible sexualbehavior Increasethe number of adolescentswho abstain from sexual intercourse.

Mental health Increase the propor-tion of adults diagnosed with depres-sion who receive treatment.

Injury and violence Reduce homicidesand motor vehicle deaths.

Environmental quality Reduce non-smokers exposed to tobacco smoke.

Immunization Increase the propor-tion of young children who receive allrecommended vaccines for at leastfive years.

Access to health care Increase theproportion of people with healthinsurance coverage.

indicators,leading health

LESSON 6 • Setting Health Goals and Making Responsible Decisions 59Matt Meadows

Using Goal-Setting and Decision-Making Skills:Setting a Health GoalSetting goals can help you focus your energies and motivate you to take action. Be realisticabout your goals and the time it will take to reach them. The activity below will give youpractice in setting goals that arerelevant and reachable.

1 Write your health goal.Think of a short-term goalthat you would like toachieve within the next month.Make the goal one that willimprove your physical oremotional health.

2 Make an actionplan to meetyour health goal.Write down your goal. Berealistic and specific. Stateyour goal in a positive way.Include a deadline. Statingyour goal clearly also givesyou a way to measureyour progress towardyour goal.4

Set up a timelin

e to

accomplish you

r health goal

and keep a char

t or diary in

which you can r

ecord progress

toward your go

al. Measure prog

ress

regularly. Keep a

daily written reco

rd.

3Identify obs

tacles

to your plan. Post

your goal

statement in a place

where you will see it—

the refrigerator,

bathroom mirror, or

on a notebook. Seeing a go

al

helps to reinforce it and ke

ep

you on track.

5 Build a support system. Whenyou reach your goal, tell someone.Be proud of yourself. After all, youhave just improved your health.

6 Revise your action plan ortimeline, if necessary, andreward yourself when youreach your health goal. What doyou do if you fall short of your goal?Revise it. Maybe a month is toolong of a time for you. How aboutsetting a goal of one week? Whenyou accomplish this revised goal,then try two weeks.

Choices that you makeevery day may seem trivial, but they add up toimportant effects on yourhealth status.

Three possible decision-makingstyles are described here. Each stylehas its own consequences. Which ofthese three styles might producehealthful results and which will pro-duce results that are not healthful?

Inactive decision-making style A per-son who fails to make choices has an

Thefailure to make a decision determinesthe outcome. Teens who use the inac-tive decision-making style may havethe following habits. They postponesomething until a future time. Theytake little control over the directionof their lives. They have difficultygaining the self-confidence thatwould result if they took responsibil-ity for making decisions when theyshould.

Reactive decision-making style Ahabit in which a person allows othersto make his or her decisions is a

Teensusing the reactive decision-making

style are easily influenced by whatothers think, do, or suggest. They lackself-confidence and have a great needto be liked by others. They give controlof the direction of their lives to others.

Proactive decision-making style Ahabit in which a person describes thesituation that requires a decision,identifies and evaluates possible deci-sions, makes a decision, and takesresponsibility for the outcome is a

Teens who use the proactive deci-sion-making style demonstrate thefollowing characteristics in theirlives. They are not driven by circum-stances and conditions. They are noteasily influenced by peers. They haveprinciples, such as integrity, honesty,and dignity, which guide their deci-sions and behavior. They are empow-ered. A person who is empowered isenergized because he or she has somecontrol over his or her decisions andbehavior.

proactive decision-making style.

active decision-making style.reac-

inactive decision-making style.

60 UNIT 1 • Health SkillsPhotodisc/Getty Images

Make theConnection

Self-Confidence Formore informationabout self-confidenceand assertiveness, seepage 48 in Lesson 5.

An individual can achieve a goal by learning how to make informed decisions.

Do you weigh information carefully and consider the consequences before you

make a decision? Do you make decisions based on what your friends are doing?

Do you discuss important decisions with your parents or guardian? You can analyze your

decision-making style and change it if necessary.

How to Evaluate Your Decision-Making Style

1. What are the goalsof Healthy People2010?

2. List the ten leadinghealth indicators.

3. What is a reactivedecision-makingstyle?

You can develop a proactive decision-making style. When you have decisions to make,

use the Responsible Decision-Making Model. The

is a series of steps to follow to assure that people make good decisions.

How to Use the ResponsibleDecision-Making Model

Responsible Decision-Making Model

Step 1: Describe the situation thatrequires a decision. Describe the sit-uation in writing if no immediatedecision is necessary. Describe thesituation out loud or to yourself in afew sentences if an immediate deci-sion is necessary. Being able todescribe the situation in your ownwords helps you see it more clearly.

Step 2: List possible decisions you mightmake. List all the possible decisionsyou can think of in writing, if no imme-diate decision is necessary. If you mustdecide right away, review the possibledecisions out loud or to yourself.

Step 3: Share the list of possible deci-sions with a parent, guardian, or otherresponsible adult. Share possible de-cisions with a responsible adult whenno immediate decision is necessary. Ifpossible, delay making a decision untilyou have had a chance to discuss thepossible decisions with a parent,guardian, or other responsible adult.The adult may help you evaluate thepossible consequences of each decision.

Step 4: Use six questions to evaluate thepossible consequences of each decision.• Will this decision result in actions

that promote health?

• Will this decision result in actionsthat protect safety?

• Will this decision result in actionsthat follow laws?

• Will this decision result in actionsthat show respect for myself andothers?

• Will this decision result in actionsthat follow the guidelines of myparents and of other responsibleadults?

• Will this decision result in actionsthat demonstrate good character?

Step 5: Decide which decision is mostresponsible and appropriate. Rely onthe six questions in Step 4 as youcompare the decisions.

Step 6: Act on your decision and eval-uate the results. Follow through withyour decision with confidence.

LESSON 6 • Setting Health Goals and Making Responsible Decisions 61(tt)Photodisc/Getty Images; (b)Tim Fuller

Share a list ofpossible decisionswith a parent,guardian, or otherresponsible adult.

Everyone makes a wrong decision at one time or another. A

is a choice that can lead to actions that harm health, are unsafe,

are illegal, show disrespect for self and others, disregard the guidelines of

parents and other responsible adults, or show lack of good character.

decision

wrong

What can you do if you suddenly real-ize that you intentionally made awrong decision and now wish youhadn’t? Do something to correct yourwrong actions. If you do, you take

steps to earn back the respect of oth-ers. This helps you keep your self-respect. In Table 6.1 below, read thefour steps you can take if you make awrong decision.

62 UNIT 1 • Health Skills(tt)Photodisc/Getty Images, CORBIS; (others)Doug Martin

What to Do If You Make a WrongDecision and Want to Correct It

TABLE 6.1 Four Steps to Take If You Make a Wrong Decision

1. Take responsibility and admit you made awrong decision.

2. Do not continue actions based on wrongdecisions.

3. Discuss the wrong decision with a parent,guardian, or other responsible adult.

4. Make restitution for harm done to others. is making up for any loss, damage, or harmyou have caused. An apology is not always enough tocorrect the harm done. You might have to replace some-thing, pay money, or volunteer time to make things right.

Restitution

Your parents or guardian are responsible for guiding thedecisions that you make. If your decisions are wrong, yourparents or guardian need to know. They can help youcorrect what you have done.

The very moment you recognize that you have made awrong decision, think about what actions you have takenbased on your wrong decision.

Wrong is wrong. Do not make excuses if you make a wrongdecision. Do not try to cover up what you have done.

Step to Take What This Means for You

6STUD

Y

GUIDE

Key Terms ReviewMatch the definitions below with the lesson Key Terms on the left. Do not write in this book.

Recalling the Facts

1. health objectives for the nation

2. ten major health concerns

3. failing to make choices determines outcome

4. decision that is harmful, unsafe, illegal

5. making good for loss or damage

6. allowing others to make choices for you

7. average number of years you are expectedto live

8. series of steps to follow to make responsi-ble decisions

9. empowering style of making decisions

10. healthful behavior you work to achievehealth goalHealthy People 2010inactive decision-

making styleleading health

indicatorslife expectancylong-term health

goalproactive decision-

making stylereactive decision-

making styleResponsible

Decision-MakingModel

restitutionshort-term health

goalwrong decision

11. What are eight steps you can take to reacha health goal?

12. List the ten leading health indicators.

13. Describe three decision-making styles.

14. What are six questions you might ask toproactively evaluate the possible conse-quences of a decision?

15. What are ways of making restitution forloss, damage, or harm?

16. What are the two main goals of HealthyPeople 2010?

17. Give an example of a health goal.

18. How has life expectancy changed from thetwentieth to the twenty-first century?

Critical Thinking 19. Why is making restitution for a wrong

decision important? Give several examplesof ways to make restitution.

20. How does eliminating health disparities inthe population promote health for all people?

21. Why might sharing a possible decision with a responsible adult help make yourdecision-making process easier?

22. How does following a law show respect forself and others?

Real-Life Applications23. What can you do to help the nation reach

its goals for 2010?

24. Explain why you should write down ahealth goal and make a plan for it.

25. Describe the difference between short-termand long-term health goals.

26. Select one of the ten areas of concern inthe leading health indicators and, using aproactive decision-making style, plan howto improve that area in your own life.

Activities

LESSON 6 • Study Guide 63

Responsible Decision Making27. Record a Message Imagine that you

are playing softball with friends. You hit thesoftball, and it breaks a car windshield. Yourfriends convince you to leave, but you feelguilty. Record a message in which you tellthe owner of the automobile about yourwrong decision and offer to make restitu-tion. Refer to the Responsible Decision-Making Model on page 61 for help.

Sharpen Your Life Skills28. Set a Health Goal One of the leading

health indicators for Healthy People 2010is physical activity that promotes cardiores-piratory fitness three or more times a weekfor 20 or more minutes per occasion. Listexercises you can do this week to meetthis health goal. List things that might keepyou from exercising this week. Tell whatyou can do to overcome these obstacles.

Visit www.glencoe.com for more Health & Wellness quizzes.

http://www.glencoe.com

Health & WellnessTable of ContentsUNIT 1 Health SkillsLesson 1 Taking Responsibility for HealthLesson 2 Accessing Valid Health Information, Products, and ServicesLesson 3 Practicing Healthful BehaviorsLesson 4 Analyzing Influences on HealthLesson 5 Using Communication SkillsLesson 6 Setting Health Goals and Making Responsible DecisionsLesson 7 Being a Health Advocate

UNIT 2 Mental and Emotional HealthLesson 8 Developing Good CharacterLesson 9 Developing a Healthy MindLesson 10 Expressing Emotions and Managing StressLesson 11 Dealing with DepressionLesson 12 Dealing with Loss and Grief

UNIT 3 Family and Social HealthLesson 13 Developing Healthful Family RelationshipsLesson 14 Adjusting to Family ChangesLesson 15 Examining Dating and FriendshipsLesson 16 Practicing Abstinence From SexLesson 17 Recognizing Harmful RelationshipsLesson 18 Preparing for Marriage and Parenthood

UNIT 4 Growth and DevelopmentLesson 19 Keeping Your Body HealthyLesson 20 Learning About the Reproductive SystemsLesson 21 Learning About Pregnancy and ChildbirthLesson 22 Caring for Infants and ChildrenLesson 23 Developing Learning and Planning StylesLesson 24 Aging Healthfully

UNIT 5 NutritionLesson 25 Choosing Healthful FoodsLesson 26 Following Dietary GuidelinesLesson 27 Using Diet to Guard Against DiseaseLesson 28 Developing Healthful Eating HabitsLesson 29 Maintaining a Healthful Weight

UNIT 6 Personal Health and Physical ActivityLesson 30 Having Regular Physical ExamsLesson 31 Being Well-GroomedLesson 32 Getting Adequate Rest and SleepLesson 33 Participating in Physical ActivityLesson 34 Practicing FitnessLesson 35 Exercising Safely

UNIT 7 Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other DrugsLesson 36 Using Prescription and OTC Drugs SafelyLesson 37 Choosing an Alcohol-Free LifestyleLesson 38 Choosing a Tobacco-Free LifestyleLesson 39 Avoiding Illegal Drug UseLesson 40 Avoiding Drug DependenceLesson 41 Resisting Pressure to Abuse DrugsLesson 42 Reducing Risk by Being Drug FreeLesson 43 Assessing Treatment Options

UNIT 8 Communicable and Chronic DiseasesLesson 44 Avoiding Communicable Diseases.Lesson 45 Dealing with Respiratory Diseases, Asthma, and AllergiesLesson 46 Reducing the Risk of STDs and HIVLesson 47 Reducing the Risk of Cardiovascular DiseasesLesson 48 Managing Chronic Health ConditionsLesson 49 Reducing the Risk of Cancer

UNIT 9 Consumer and Community HealthLesson 50 Acquiring Knowledge of Health LawsLesson 51 Managing Time and MoneyLesson 52 Analyzing Media MessagesLesson 53 Accessing Reliable Health CareLesson 54 Investigating Health CareersLesson 55 Learning About Public Health

UNIT 10 Environmental HealthLesson 56 Learning About Environmental IssuesLesson 57 Preventing Air and Water PollutionLesson 58 Preventing Noise and Visual PollutionLesson 59 Practicing Recycling and ConservationLesson 60 Protecting the Environment

UNIT 11 Injury Prevention and Personal SafetyLesson 61 Reducing Unintentional InjuriesLesson 62 Staying Safe During Severe Weather and Natural DisastersLesson 63 Reducing the Risk of ViolenceLesson 64 Respecting Authority and Obeying LawsLesson 65 Protecting Yourself From Physical ViolenceLesson 66 Protecting Yourself From Sexual ViolenceLesson 67 Staying Away From GangsLesson 68 Reducing Weapon InjuriesLesson 69 Performing Common First Aid ProceduresLesson 70 Performing Emergency First Aid Procedures

Health ResourcesEnglish/Spanish GlossaryIndexCredits

Feature ContentsActivity: Using Life SkillsSpeaking OutHealth NewsFacts AboutJust the Facts

Student WorkbooksReading EssentialsTo the StudentUnit 1: Health SkillsLesson 1: Taking Responsibility for HealthLesson 2: Accessing Valid Health Information, Products, and ServicesLesson 3: Practicing Healthful BehaviorsLesson 4: Analyzing Influences on HealthLesson 5: Using Communication SkillsLesson 6: Setting Health Goals and Making Responsible DecisionsLesson 7: Being a Health Advocate

Unit 2: Mental and Emotional HealthLesson 8: Developing Good CharacterLesson 9: Developing a Healthy MindLesson 10: Expressing Emotions and Managing StressLesson 11: Dealing with DepressionLesson 12: Dealing with Loss and Grief

Unit 3: Family and Social HealthLesson 13: Developing Healthful Family RelationshipsLesson 14: Adjusting to Family ChangesLesson 15: Examining Dating and FriendshipsLesson 16: Practicing Abstinence From SexLesson 17: Recognizing Harmful RelationshipsLesson 18: Preparing for Marriage and Parenthood

Unit 4: Growth and DevelopmentLesson 19: Keeping Your Body HealthyLesson 20: Learning About the Reproductive SystemsLesson 21: Learning About Pregnancy and ChildbirthLesson 22: Caring for Infants and ChildrenLesson 23: Developing Learning and Planning StylesLesson 24: Aging Healthfully

Unit 5: NutritionLesson 25: Choosing Healthful FoodsLesson 26: Following Dietary GuidelinesLesson 27: Using Diet to Guard Against DiseaseLesson 28: Developing Healthful Eating HabitsLesson 29: Maintaining a Healthful Weight

Unit 6: Personal Health and Physical ActivityLesson 30: Having Regular Physical ExamsLesson 31: Being Well-GroomedLesson 32: Getting Adequate Rest and SleepLesson 33: Participating in Physical ActivityLesson 34: Practicing FitnessLesson 35: Exercising Safely

Unit 7: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other DrugsLesson 36: Using Prescription and OTC Drugs SafelyLesson 37: Choosing an Alcohol-Free LifestyleLesson 38: Choosing a Tobacco-Free LifestyleLesson 39: Avoiding Illegal Drug UseLesson 40: Avoiding Drug DependenceLesson 41: Resisting Pressure to Abuse DrugsLesson 42: Reducing Risk by Being Drug FreeLesson 43: Assessing Treatment Options

Unit 8: Communicable and Chronic DiseasesLesson 44: Avoiding Communicable DiseasesLesson 45: Dealing with Respiratory Diseases, Asthma, and AllergiesLesson 46: Reducing the Risk of STDs and HIVLesson 47: Reducing the Risk of Cardiovascular DiseasesLesson 48: Managing Chronic Health ConditionsLesson 49: Reducing the Risk of Cancer

Unit 9: Consumer and Community HealthLesson 50: Acquiring Knowledge of Health LawsLesson 51: Managing Time and MoneyLesson 52: Analyzing Media MessagesLesson 53: Accessing Reliable Health CareLesson 54: Investigating Health CareersLesson 55: Learning About Public Health

Unit 10: Environmental HealthLesson 56: Learning About Environmental IssuesLesson 57: Preventing Air and Water PollutionLesson 58: Preventing Noise and Visual PollutionLesson 59: Practicing Recycling and ConservationLesson 60: Protecting the Environment

Unit 11: Injury Prevention and Personal SafetyLesson 61: Reducing Unintentional InjuriesLesson 62: Staying Safe During Severe Weather and Natural DisastersLesson 63: Reducing the Risk of ViolenceLesson 64: Respecting Authority and Obeying LawsLesson 65: Protecting Yourself From Physical ViolenceLesson 66: Protecting Yourself From Sexual ViolenceLesson 67: Staying Away From GangsLesson 68: Reducing Weapon InjuriesLesson 69: Performing Common First Aid ProceduresLesson 70: Performing Emergency First Aid Procedures

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