Diet & Exercise
Feeder 1

DUE: January 20
Length: 2-3 pages
value: 5% of your grade

Goal: Summarize, evaluate, and discuss your peers' and your own eating and exercise habits (strengths and problem areas) in light of recommendations for "good health."

Being a college student is an awesome, shared experience. Our minds expand as we learn new material, meet different people, and work towards achieving our life dreams. Hey. . . wait. . . I know of another shared experience. . . the "Freshman 15." It's almost guaranteed: Taco Bell, Chick-a-Fill, Pizza Hut. . . parties, midnight study breaks (a pepperoni pizza, popcorn, a bag of oreos, nachos, etc.)! Who has time to exercise with the work load in English 12! What's worse, many Frosh do not even realize this physical expansion until. . . their favorite blue jeans are a little tight and spring break is around the corner. Then, they crash diet. What a mess!

This unit will try to make you more aware of and maybe even more responsible for your eating and exercise habits. In feeder 1, you will document and evaluate your eating and exercise habits in light of your peers. Then in feeder 2, you will research a health problem that stems from poor eating and/or insufficient exercise. Your unit project will require you to write an article informing a campus audience of your research, observations, and a solution to health risks that usually begin with the "Freshman 15"

This is NOT a unit on diet. It is about finding ways to become more active and responsible so as to avoid more serious health problems.

 Part 1: DATA COLLECTION:

Collect data in your logs. BE HONEST!

 1. Go to the Wellness Center for a body fat and fitness test. Make sure you get information about how the results "compare" to individuals in your age group.

 2. Document your eating patterns for the next two weeks. Use a chart like the following:

   
 
DATE
Mean /Time
Food
Portion size
Evaluation
  sample   

1/2/2001

 Breakfast   

3 P.M.

 chicken nuggets   

ketchup

 6   

3 packets

  
      fries large  
      oreos 6  
      diet coke 12 oz.  
 

 3. Document your exercise patterns using a chart like following.
 
  DATE formal exercise # reps. or time spent.  
  sample    
1/2/2001		  treadmill    
crunches		 20 minutes    
2 sets of 10		  
    walked up stairs 3 flights  
 

Please type this information and submit 5 copies each Thursday for the next 2 weeks.

Part 2: Summarize the Results (see A & B 734).

Summarize the data.

Classify information, in other words, identify the major patterns. Try to sort out the meaningful from the meaningless (A&B 728).

Be as precise as possible.

Feel free to make tables and charts.

 Part 3: Discussion (A&B 728)  ANALYZE Based on the results:

a. Evaluate how your results from the Wellness Center tests "compare" to individuals from the rest of the class and to people of your age group.

b. Evaluate how your eating habits compare to:

individuals from the rest of the class

what is recommend in the USDA Food Pyramid

 c. Evaluate how your exercise habits compare to: individuals from the rest of the class
what is recommend for people of your age group   Draw Conclusions or Make Predictions
  If your "results" were a little scary, what changes (New Life Resolutions?) will you make in any of the above areas to meet the recommend goals for your age group?

How does the individual's exercise program factor into the health picture?

What do you predict would be the health consequences of continuing this pattern of diet and exercise?

What other health risks other than the Freshman 15 may result from these eating patterns?

 Part 4: Introduction (see A & B 731) Now that you have thought through the data and have drawn conclusions, go back to the beginning of your report and add an introduction. Part 5: A ZIPPY title (see A & B 735s)