Human factors that cause ill health: State THREE ways in which a sedentary lifestyle could lead to ill health.
About this question
Question 6.1 of Life Orientation Grade 12, NSC Common Assessment Task (DBE, October 2020). It tests the Term 3 ATP topic Human Factors Causing Ill-Health.
- TermTerm 3
- ATP topicHuman Factors Causing Ill-Health
- PaperNSC October 2020
- Marks3 marks: 3 points, 1 mark each
The unhealthy eating habits as well as the increasing sedentary lifestyle of the South African youth have become a serious concern since it may lead to ill health.
Statistics from Diabetes South Africa is a warning sign that if the current rate of obesity amongst young people continues to increase, there will be about 3,91 million obese school children in this country by 2025.
South African higher education institutions are working with young people to co-create new ideas in an effort to help tackle South Africa's increasing adolescent obesity rate.
Glossary: sedentary lifestyle: a lifestyle that involves sitting or lying down for long periods of time. [Adapted from www.news.uct.ac.za] Write paragraphs on human factors that cause ill health.
Three ways in which a sedentary lifestyle could lead to ill health are:
- A sedentary lifestyle slows down your metabolism and causes excessive weight gain, which can lead to obesity.
- It causes plaque to build up in the arteries, which strains the heart.
- It can harm your mental well-being and lead to depression.
Other points that earn marks
- It weakens the bones and muscles.
- It reduces lung function and blood circulation.
- It puts pressure on and damages organs.
- It leads to a decline in brain function.
- It lowers general fitness.
More Questions On Human Factors Causing Ill-Health
Three practical ways to alert teen drivers to the dangers of texting and driving are:
- Schools and driving schools could invite survivors of texting-related crashes or their families to speak to learners. Real stories have a strong emotional impact and make teenagers take the risk seriously.
- Road safety campaigns could use social media, videos and billboards that show the effects of texting while driving, because teenagers spend a lot of time on these platforms and will see the message often.
- Parents could set a good example and agree with their teenagers on a family no-phone-while-driving rule, which builds a habit of putting the phone away in the car.
A campaign is a series of planned, organised activities over a period of time aimed at bringing about a particular positive change in society.
Two benefits of the youth participating in anti-substance abuse campaigns are:
- Taking part makes young people aware of the negative consequences of substance abuse.
- It gives them a chance to share their own experiences and ideas about the risks with their peers.
A social factor is something that comes from our interaction with other people and affects how we think and behave in social situations.
Texting while driving is a social factor because the need to stay connected with friends on WhatsApp or social media makes the driver take their eyes off the road, so they miss road signs and dangers and may cause an accident.
Two reasons why boys are more likely to use drugs are:
- Boys are often under strong peer pressure to prove that they are tough and 'manly'.
- Boys are less likely to talk about their emotions, so they may use drugs to cope with stress or problems.
Two practical strategies that you could use to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of a disastrous situation at a major sports or social event are:
- Find out where all the exit points are as soon as you arrive, so that you can get out quickly and safely if there is an emergency.
- Avoid alcohol and drugs at the event, so that you stay sober and can think clearly and react correctly if something goes wrong.
Two practical strategies that the National Department of Social Development could implement to ensure that the campaign is effective are:
- The department should first research which areas need the campaign most. It can then design a programme that suits each specific community, and this makes sure the campaign deals with the real needs of the people it is meant to help.
- The department should involve young people in planning the campaign. They will influence their peers to take part, and as a result the youth, who are the main target group, become more involved and the campaign reaches more of them.