13. Health

Diet

• The human body requires a balanced diet
• An unhealthy diet can cause various health problems
• Obesity, diabetes and heart disease are on the increase
• Many people nowadays rely on fast food or pre-prepared meals
• These foods often contain too much fat, salt and sugar
• They are cheap to buy and very easy to prepare
• Many young people have grown up on a diet of convenience foods
• Populations in developed countries are increasingly overweight

Exercise

• Regular exercise is essential in maintaining a healthy body
• Exercise burns calories and helps to build healthy bones and muscles
• Doctors advise exercising at least three times a week for 20 minutes
• Most people nowadays lead a sedentary lifestyle
• We tend to walk less and do desk jobs
• Most adults relax by watching television
• Children play video games rather than doing outdoor sports
• In the past, people were more active in their jobs and at home

Government’s Role

• Governments have a significant role to play in reducing obesity
• More and more people, including young children are seriously overweight
• They are at risk of heart disease and diabetes
• This situation will increase the burden on hospitals and taxpayers
• Hospitals rely on the government for money and resources
• Governments should promote a healthy diet and regular exercise
• There should be more time for sports on school timetables
• Unhealthy junk food should be banned from school menus
• People need information about what foods contain
• Food packaging must show the food’s nutritional content
• The British Government recommends eating five portions of fruit and vegetables per day

State Health system: advantages

• Good healthcare should be available to everyone for free
• State healthcare is paid by the government using money from taxes
• Everyone has access to the same quality of care and treatment
• Private healthcare is unfair because only wealthy people can afford it
• The National Health Service in the UK provides free healthcare for every resident

Private Healthcare: advantages

• State hospitals are often very large and difficult to run
• Private hospitals have shorter waiting lists for operations and appointments
• Patients can benefit from faster treatment
• Many people prefer to pay for more a personal service
• Patients have their own room and more comfortable facilities

Alternative medicine: Positives

• People are increasingly using alternative medicines to treat illnesses.
• For example, acupuncture can be used to treat backache
• Herbal medicines can be used to treat allergies or viruses
• Many patients report positive experiences with these treatments
• Some traditional cures have been used for hundreds of years

Alternative medicine: Negatives

• Many alternative medicines have not been tested scientifically
• They may have no beneficial effect at all
• They may cause unknown side effects
• People should trust the opinions of qualified doctors
• An illness could get worse without treatment from a doctor

Stress

• Modern lifestyles are increasingly stressful
• People work long hours with strict deadlines
• Our busy lifestyles mean we have less time to relax
• Unemployment is a major cause of stress
• Children may be affected by their parents’ relationship problems
• Tests and exams can also cause stress

How to reduce stress

• Stress can be reduced by taking regular exercise and eating a healthy diet
• It is also important to get sufficient sleep and make leisure time a priority
• People should work less overtime and take regular holidays
• Schools have started to employ psychologists
• They can offer emotional support to students
• They can help students to cope with exam stress

日常饮食

• 人类身体要求一个平衡的日常饮食
• 一个不健康的日常饮食会导致各种各样的健康问题
• 肥胖、糖尿病和心脏病在上升
• 如今许多人依赖快餐食品或者预先准备过的餐食
• 这些食品通常包含太多的脂肪、盐和糖
• 他们购买非常便宜并且准备非常简单
• 许多年轻人是在方便食品日常饮食上成长的
• 发达国家的人口正越来越过重

运动

• 有规律的运动是保持一个健康身体所必须的
• 运动燃烧卡路里及帮助建立健康的骨骼和肌肉
• 医生建议一周至少运动 3 次每次 20 分钟
• 如今大多数人过着久坐的生活方式
• 我们倾向更少走路和做办公室工作
• 绝大多数成年人通过看电视来放松
• 孩子玩电视游戏而不是做户外运动
• 过去，人们在他们的工作和家更活跃

政府的角色

• 政府在减少肥胖方面起一个重要的角色
• 越来越多的人，包括年轻人严重超重
• 他们面临心脏病和糖尿病的风险
• 这个情形会加剧医院和纳税人的压力
• 医院在钱和资源上依赖政府
• 政府应该促进一个健康的日常饮食和规律的运动
• 在学校课程表上应该有更多的时间给运动
• 不健康的垃圾食品应该被从学校菜单中禁止
• 人们需要食物中包含的东西的信息
• 食品包装必须展示食品的营养物质
• 英国政府推荐每天吃 5%的水果和蔬菜

公立健康系统:优点

• 每个人都应免费享有好的卫生保健
• 公立卫生保健由政府出资，政府使用纳税得到的钱
• 每个人享有相同的照顾和对待
• 私人卫生保健是不公平的因为只有富人付得起
• 英国的国家健康服务为每位居民提供免费的卫生保健

私人卫生保健:优点

• 公立医院通常非常大和难以运营
• 私立医院在手术和预约上有更短的排队清单
• 患者可以得益于更快的治疗
• 许多人愿意为了一个更个人化的服务付钱
• 患者有他们自己的房间和更加舒服的设施
• +是对公立医院的补充，满足不同层次人的需求

另类医疗:优点

• 人们越来越多地使用另类医疗来治疗疾病
• 比如，针灸可以被用于治疗背痛
• 草药可以被用于治疗过敏或病毒
• 许多病人对这些治疗报告积极的体验
• 一些传统的治疗被用了上千年

另类医疗:缺点

• 很多另类医疗至今没有被科学证实
• 他们或许没有任何好的作用
• 他们或许导致未知的副作用
• 人们应该信赖有资质的医生的观点
• 一个疾病在没有一个医生的治疗下会变糟糕

压力

• 现代生活方式越来越有压力的
• 人们在严格的死线下长时间工作
• 我们忙碌的生活方式意味着我们有更少的时间去放松
• 失业是压力的一个主要原因
• 孩子们可能被他们父母关系问题所影响
• 测试和考试也会导致压力
• +父母的压力->对孩子关注的减少->孩子的问题(学校的和青少年犯罪的)

怎样减轻压力

• 压力可以通过做规律的运动和吃健康的日常饮食来减少
• 获得足够的睡眠和将休闲时间作为优先也很重要
• 人们应该更少超时工作和修规律的假期
• 学校开始雇佣心理学家
• 他们可以为学生提供情感支持
• 他们可以帮助学生处理考试压力