Chapter 1 Lesson 2 Influences on your Health

Chapter 1 Lesson 2 Influences on your Health • Heredity – All the traits and properties that are passed along biologically from both parents to child • Color of eyes, hair, shape of nose, ears, body type and size • Tendencies toward specific diseases can also be inherited

Influences on your Health • Environment – sum total of your surroundings- your family, where you grew up, where you live now and all of our experience • Includes the places you go in a given day and the physical conditions in which you live

Physical Environment • Is environment clean and streets safe • Are there parks, walking paths and recreational facilities • Living in a healthy environment may be more likely to enjoy good mental and physical health • Air quality as well as access to medical facilities all influence your health

Social Environment • Includes your family and others you come into daily contact with • A healthful, supportive social environment can help you overcome poor physical conditions such as poverty • Peer pressure is a critical component of the social environment

Cultural environment • Culture – The collective beliefs, customs, and behaviors of a group • May be an ethnic group, a community, a Nation, or an entire section of the globe – The language, food, tradition, and religion you practice are al part of your cultural environment

Behavior • This is the one factor you have complete control over • You can reduce chances of family history of diseases by the health choices you make

Your Behavior, Your Health • You can control your habits which in turn will influence your overall health and wellness