D3. Making Connections for Healthy Living
Specific Expectations
Healthy Eating
D3.1
describe how advertising, food marketing, and media affect food choices (e.g., TV commercials, product packaging, celebrity endorsements and social media postings, product placements in movies and programs, idealized and unrealistic body images in movies and programs, magazine articles promoting fad diets, loyalty programs), and explain how these influences can be evaluated to help people make healthier choices (e.g., by critically examining the reasons for celebrity endorsements or public personas or the plausibility of product claims, checking whether there is information in an advertisement to verify its claims, asking for information about product ingredients and nutrients, critically examining the reality and healthiness of idealized body images in the media) [A1.6 Thinking]
- Teacher prompt: “What might you think about when you see a professional athlete drinking an energy drink in a commercial?”
- Student: “The advertisement is trying to influence me to buy the drink. But just because the ad says a professional athlete drinks it does not mean that the athlete actually drinks that drink, or that it is healthy for me or that I need to drink it when I am being active.”
- Teacher: “What do you think when you see a magazine cover promoting a fad diet?”
- Student: “I remind myself that the dieting industry is primarily focused on making money, not on making people healthier. I make a point of ignoring all messages about dieting for weight and shape control, and stay focused on health instead.”
Personal Safety and Injury Prevention
D3.2
explain how a person’s actions, either in person or online, including making homophobic or other hurtful comments, can affect their own and others’ feelings, self-concept, mental health and emotional well-being, and reputation (e.g., negative actions such as name calling, making sexist or racist remarks, mocking appearance or ability, excluding others, bullying/cyberbullying, sexual harassment [including online activities such as making sexual comments, sharing sexual pictures, or asking for such pictures to be sent]; positive actions such as praising, supporting, including, and advocating) [A1.1 Emotions, 1.4 Relationships, 1.5 Self]
- Teacher prompt: “Negative actions that hurt the feelings of others can also result in stigma. When someone appears to be different from us, whether it is because of something visible like a physical disability or something less visible like having an illness such as HIV/AIDS, a mental health problem like depression, or a visual or hearing impairment, we may view them in a stereotyped manner and make assumptions. Stereotypes can have a strong, negative impact on someone’s self-concept and well-being. Even stereotypes that might seem positive are harmful, because they do not let people be their real selves. On the other hand, you can also make a big difference in a positive way with your actions. Give an example of an action that can affect someone’s feelings, self-concept, or reputation in a positive way.”
- Student: “Actions that can have a positive effect include asking someone who has been left out to be a partner, praising someone for their accomplishments, recognizing someone’s talent or skill, and making sure everyone gets a turn.”
- Teacher: “How do your actions – positive or negative – have an impact on your own self-concept and reputation?”
- Student: “Having a positive attitude towards other people can make you feel good about yourself. It can also make people want to be around you. Always being negative or putting other people down reflects badly on you and can make you feel worse about yourself.”
D3.3
identify personal and social factors (e.g., emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, cultural, legal, media, and peer influences) that can affect a person’s decision to drink alcohol or use cannabis at different points in their life [A1.2 Coping, 1.6 Thinking]
- Teacher prompt: “How realistic are the messages that we get from the media about drinking alcohol and using cannabis?”
- Student: “On shows and in movies, you see people having fun, being sociable, doing cool things while drinking or using cannabis, or drinking and smoking because they feel stressed. You do not often see images in the media of someone who has passed out or who has caused a car crash or who is in an abusive relationship because of alcohol or cannabis. I can think of other ways to manage stress – such as talking to a friend or throwing a ball for my dog.”
- Teacher prompt: “Some adults choose to drink alcohol or use cannabis in social settings or during celebrations. How is this different from a young person drinking alcohol or using cannabis?”
- Student: “It is legal for adults to drink alcohol and use cannabis. Drinking in moderation, avoiding becoming impaired, and following the law about using substances and driving are some of the responsibilities that adults who choose to drink alcohol or use cannabis have to accept.”
Mental Health Literacy
D3.4
demonstrate an understanding of how our attitudes about mental health affect those around us and how they might contribute to or prevent creating stigma [A1.6 Thinking]
- Teacher prompt: “We know that from time to time we all feel challenging emotions that make it difficult for us to feel like we fit in or belong. Everyone experiences these ups and downs at different points. It’s important for all of us to think about the ways we can make it easier for ourselves and others to recognize, accept, and manage these feelings. For example, let’s think about language. Sometimes we make statements that we think are funny but that can cause stigma and make others feel uncomfortable. When it comes to supporting one another’s mental health, what are some of the things we can do at school and in the classroom to make everyone feel safe to talk about their mental health and ask for help?”
- Student: “When we talk about mental health in a positive way it makes it safe for us to be open and honest about our feelings. Sometimes people are made fun of if they seem ‘different’ or if they show emotion or cry at school. When someone is having a bad day, we could put ourselves in their shoes and think about how that might feel. We could ask them if they want to talk and respect their need for space if that is what they want.”
- Teacher: “When we talk about ‘putting ourselves in someone’s shoes’, that’s called empathy – it’s when we have understanding for the feelings of others. Showing empathy is a great way to make our classroom and school safe for everyone to be themselves. When we talk about mental health as a positive concept, it makes it safe for everyone to share when they are feeling emotions that are challenging or if they’re having a bad day.”
