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  Is Your Weight Affecting Your Health? Content Standards Lesson Plans connection Web Site Resources connection Assessment Items connection
Primary Subject Area:  Health Education
Grade Level:  9 - 10
Overview:
The percent of children and adolescents who are overweight is now higher than ever before; one in three school-aged children is overweight. A measurement called percentile of Body Mass Index (BMI) is used to identify overweight in children and adolescents. In this lesson, students learn how to calculate BMI- for-age and how weight can be a risk factor for developing certain diseases such as diabetes. This lesson can be used to teach health, nutrition, or physical activity topics.
Approximate Duration:  2 class periods (50 minutes each)
Content Standards:
  • Standard 1
         Students will comprehend concepts and strategies related to health promotion and disease prevention.
Benchmarks:
  • 1-H-1
         analyze the impact of behavior on health maintenance and disease prevention;
    • (1,2,3,4,5)
  • 1-H-2
         identify the causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention of various diseases and disorders (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, STDs, eating disorders);
    • (2,3,4)
  • 1-H-4
         explain the impact of personal health behaviors on the functioning of body systems;
    • (2,3,4)
Interdisciplinary Connections:  
  • Science : Life Science
         The students will become aware of the characteristics and life cycles of organisms and understand their relationships to each other and to their environment.
Educational Technology Standards:  
  • Use appropriate technology to locate, retrieve, organize, analyze, evaluate, and communicate information for problem solving and decision making.
    • ( 1, 2, 4 )
Objectives:
The student will:
  1. assess body size using BMI,
  2. calculate BMI,
  3. determine his/her percentile rankings on a growth chart, and
  4. discuss how being overweight can put an individual at risk for developing chronic health problems such as diabetes.
Lesson Materials and Resources:
  1. Copies of the growth chart for each student. The boys and girls growth charts are different. (Found in the reproducible section)
  2. Put a Stop to Diabetes Worksheet (Found in the reproducible section)
  3. Key - Danielle's BMI (Found in the reproducible section)
  4. Scale
  5. Tape measure or yard stick
  6. Colored pencils
  7. Screens or a private area for taking measurements
  8. Index cards if concept mapping software is not available.
Technology Tools and Materials:

Hardware:
Computer with Internet access

Software:
Concept mapping progream such as Inspiration

Websites:
•Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Growthcharts
      www.cdc.gov/growthcharts
•Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Body Mass Index
      www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi
•Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Diabetes Fact Sheet
      www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/general.htm
•World Book Online
      www.worldbookonline.com

Other:
Background Information:
For children and adolescents, Body Mass Index-for-age (BMI) is a screening tool used to identify individuals who are overweight or at risk of being overweight. Boys and girls differ in body fatness as they mature; therefore, BMI is gender and age specific. In addition, BMI is used differently with children than with adults. Pediatricians are finding more and more overweight children and adolescents with Type 2 diabetes, a disease that, until now was seen in people over age 40. Teachers should become familiar with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) Growth charts.
Lesson Procedures:
Part 1:
Begin the lesson by showing the students the Powerpoint Presentations, "Is Your Weight Affecting Your Health--Trends" and "What Can You Do," found in the reproducible materials section of the lesson.

  1. Ask the students to define the term "epidemic."
    An "epidemic" is when something such as a disease spreads rapidly among many people in a community. Health experts believe that obesity is an epidemic in the U.S.

  2. Why should we be concerned about obesity?
    Being overweight or at risk for being overweight may lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.

  3. How can we determine who is overweight or at risk for being overweight?
    Body Mass Index(BMI) is a first step to determining whether or not a person is overweight.

  4. Discuss with the students:
    • A measurement called Body Mass Index-for age (BMI) is used to identify overweight or at risk of being overweight in children and adolescents.

    • BMI-for-age is plotted on a growth chart.

    • Each BMI-for-age chart contains a series of percentile curves that illustrate the distribution of selected body measurements in U.S. children.

    • Health professionals identify two levels of overweight in children/adolescents:
      • 85th percentile to < 95th percentile, known as the “at risk” of overweight level, and
      • 95th percentile, the more severe level or “overweight” level.


    • What does percentile mean?
      Percentile means compared to children of the same gender and age, that percent has a lower BMI. For example, if a child is located in the 60th percentile, 60% of children of the same age and gender have a lower BMI.


  5. Learn how to calculate Body Mass Index for age.
    Distribute a copy of the BMI-for-age Growth Chart to each student.
    Note: BMI-for-age Growth Charts are gender specific. Growth Charts can be found at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts.
    Select "Clinical Growth Charts." Then, select "Set 2: Clinical Growth Charts for Children 2 to 20 years (3rd –97th percentile)." There are two separate charts, one for boys and one for girls. If the Internet is not available, the growth charts are located in the Reproducible Materials section of this lesson plan.

  6. Calculating BMI.
    • Explain to the students how to calculate BMI-for-age.

      BMI-for-age = weight (lb) / height (in)2 X 703

      NOTE: Ounces (oz) and fractions must be converted to decimal values.

    • Calculate BMI.

      Danielle is a happy, 13 year old. She weighs 105 pounds 4 ounces and is 5 feet 4 inches tall.

      Convert ounces and fractions to decimals:

      Weight: 105 lbs 4 oz = 105.25 lbs
      Height: 5’ 4” = 64 inches

      BMI = weight /height2 x 703

      BMI = 105.25 lbs. / 64 in.2 x 703

      BMI = 18.06

    • Plot Danielle’s BMI on the BMI-for-age Growth Chart.
      On the Growth Chart, find Danielle’s age on the horizontal axis and visually draw a vertical line up from that point.
      Then find her BMI on the vertical axis and visually draw a horizontal line across from that point. The point where the two lines intersect represents Danielle’s BMI-for- age. Mark the point with a colored pencil. When plotted Danielle’s BMI-for-age falls near the 35th percentile.

    • Interpret the plotted measurements
      Since Danielle’s BMI-for-age is near the 35th percentile curve, this means that of 100 children with the same gender and age, fewer than 35 children have a BMI lower than hers. Danielle is in the normal range, between the 5th percentile and the 85th percentile.


  7. See how you measure up.
    Each student should calculate his/her own BMI. Complete the table located on the top of the Growth Chart.

    Step 1: Using scales and either a tape measure or yardstick, obtain accurate height and weight measurements. If scales are unavailable, have students estimate their height and weight.

    Step 2: Calculate BMI.
    Weight / height2x 703

    Plot the measurement on the gender specific Growth Chart. Visit the CDC's BMI website to better understand the results of BMI. Interpret the plotted measurement.


Part 2:
Overweight children and adolescents are at risk for developing health problems such as Diabetes.
The teacher can lead a discussion or allow the students to investigate the answers using the National Diabetes Fact Sheet at http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/general.htm.
or World Book Online at http://www.worldbookonline.com

  1. Ask the students:
    • What is Diabetes? Facts to share with the students include:
      • During digestion, our body’s change some of the food we eat into sugar. This sugar gets into our blood.
      • Cells use blood sugar for energy.
      • The blood carries the sugar to cells in every part of our body. But it can’t get in the cells by itself. In order for the sugar to be used, the body must produce a hormone called insulin.
      • Insulin is made by special cells in the pancreas, which is an organ in the body.
      • Sugar in the blood tells the pancreas to make insulin.
      • When someone has diabetes, the pancreas either isn’t making enough insulin or is not making any at all. The sugar cannot get into the cells so the cells do not have the energy to do their work.
      • If too much sugar stays in the veins and arteries instead of going into the cells, they can be damaged and can cause complications such as kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, or foot damage.
      • Diabetes is a very serious disease.


    • What are the symptoms of diabetes? Some symptoms include:
      • Frequent urination
      • Excessive thirst
      • Unexplained weight loss
      • Extreme hunger
      • Sudden vision changes
      • Feeling tired
      • Sores that are slow to heal


    • What are the different types of Diabetes?
      There are two main types of diabetes.
      Answer:
      • Type 1 Diabetes—occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the pancreas cells that make insulin. The pancreas produces no insulin.
      • Type 2 Diabetes—occurs when the body produces some insulin, but not as much as the body needs. Type 2 diabetes is associated with being overweight and can be prevented.


    • How can Type 2 diabetes be prevented?
      Answer:
      Eating a healthy diet and daily physical activity is important for reducing the risk of developing diabetes. Physical activity helps us use the calories we get from the food we eat. Being active helps our muscles be more sensitive to insulin so that the insulin works better. Calories from food give us energy to grow strong and play stronger. When these calories aren’t used they are stored as fat on our bodies. The more fat our body has (especially around the waist), the more insulin it needs. This is why it is so important that we do some kind of physical activity every day. Being physically active is lots of fun and good for you too!Maintaining a desirable body weight through physical activity and caloric restriction is important for preventing diabetes.


  2. Activity: Put A Stop To Diabetes
    On the “Put A Stop To Diabetes” goal sheet, ask each student to:
    • Set a goal to do physical activity for at least 60 minutes each day, including 30 minutes of moderate physical activity.
    • Think of physical activities he/she likes to do.
    • Choose one physical activity to do each day or pick a different one for each day.
    • Think how important this is for health.


  3. The class will complete a concept map either through the use of Inspiration or index cards that have diabetes terms written on them. Terms that may be used include risk factors, overweight, obese, physical activity, weight control, diet, symptoms, Type 1, Type 2, insulin, pancreas, and complications.

  4. For closure, share maps and note similarities and differences.
Assessment Procedures:
Properly complete BMI information.
Complete concept maps
Accommodations/Modifications:
Conduct student height and weight measures in private. Provide assistance and accommodations for students with special needs. Ask the adapted physical education teacher to assist with this lesson if needed.
          ----- written by Division of Nutrition Assistance
Reproducible Materials:
Explorations and Extensions:
Complete this lesson at the beginning, middle and end of the school year to track body size. Have students develop a plan of action for making change.
Invite a school nurse to make a presentation to the class on diabetes.
Lesson Development Resources:
American Obesity Association, (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2004, from http://www.obesity.org

Keep Kids Health, (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2004, from http://www.keepkidshealthy.com
Reflections:
Because adolescents’ bodies are maturing at different rates, one measurement of BMI is only the first step in determining whether one is at risk for becoming obese. Charting the BMI over the year is optimal. Students as risk of being overweight should be referred to a health care professional for further evaluation and counseling.
Contact Information:
Division of Nutrition Assistance
http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/nutrition/1667.html
Louisiana Department of Education
Additional Contacts:
Group:  Division of Nutrition Assistance
MarcoPolo Lesson:  No


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