Glencoe Health © 2007Chapter 6:
Managing Weight and Body CompositionChapter 6 Parent Letter and ActivitiesDear Parent or Guardian, Being overweight or underweight is a concern for many teens. Body weight,
however, is
more than an appearance issue: the process of adding or losing weight can result
in health
risks. The focus of your teen’s current health chapter is the relationship
between body composition, diet, fitness, and health. The following topics will be explored in this chapter: - Maintaining a Healthy Weight.
- Fad Diets and Eating Disorders.
- Nutrition for Individual Needs.
Your involvement and participation in your teen’s health education is
important. To support our classroom work, please complete at least one of the
following activities with your teen: Ask your son or daughter to calculate
his or her Body Mass Index and explain the significance of this figure. Then,
ask your teen to discuss how he or she feels about his or her
body weight. If the image is distorted, help your child objectively assess
his or her body
type. If your child has an actual weight problem, assist him or her in seeking
proper professional
advice. Discuss with your teen the influence that advertising has in presenting
unrealistic body
types as ideal images. Ask your teen to explain the connection between body
weight and caloric intake/caloric output. Have your teen examine his or her
food choices, particularly snacks, and the amount of time spent in exercise.
Work together to create a plan with the appropriate
balance of caloric intake/caloric output and physical activities. Please
plan other activities you think will help your teen understand and practice
the concepts presented in this chapter. Thank you for supporting our classroom
work. Feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss your teen’s health
education. Sincerely, Health Teacher |