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Healthy Spirit Club E-Module #14

HOW HEALTH CONSCIOUS ARE YOU?
Test Your Knowledge!

Since the early 1900s, Americans have learned how to overcome many causes of death such as smallpox, diphtheria, stomach cancer, and death from childbirth. The age expectancy has also risen from 47 to 77 years of age since the turn of the century. However, as technology eases our lives, it has also created a sedentary work environment, which has given rise to new health problems. Heart disease and obesity have become major epidemics in our society due to the decline of regular physical activity. Here are just a few staggering statistics that contribute to the problem:

American kids average 4.4 hours of screen (TV) time per day up from 4.1 hours a year ago.
High school gym class enrollment has dropped to 27% from 42% in the last ten years.
More than 50% of American adults and 25% of children are overweight or obese.
Fewer than half of overweight adults are addressing the problem by modifying their diets, and just one in five are involved in a regular exercise program.

A survey conducted by the Discovery Health Channel and Newsweek of 1,200 adults showed that there are some major misconceptions regarding health and exercise knowledge. Here are some of the startling results with the percentage of people who answered correctly:

TRUE or False?

• Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.	TRUE (76%)
• Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women	FALSE (31%)
• The amount of caffeine in a chocolate bar is the same as the amount found in a cup of coffee	FALSE (31%)
4. Viruses can cause cancer	FALSE (31%)
5. Cystic fibrosis is the nation's most common genetic disorder	FALSE (35%)
6. Prescription drugs kill more American's each year than AIDSand homicide combined	TRUE (36%)
7. Men who eat lots of tomato sauce lower their risk of prostate cancer	TRUE (39%)
8. Diseases like AIDS that attack the immune system kill more men ages 25-44 than heart disease	TRUE (41%)
9. Parents should restrict the amount of fat infants get their first year of life	FALSE (44%)
10. More women ages 25-44 die from heart disease than from cancer	FALSE (44%)
11. Estrogen plays a role in memory loss	TRUE (48%)
12. A blood pressure of 140 over 90 is too high	TRUE (55%)
13. Cigarette smoking can cause impotence in men	TRUE (55%)
14. Folic acid helps reduce the risk of birth defects	TRUE (55%)
15. A cholesterol level of 220 is desirable for adults	FALSE (61%)
16. Going out with wet hair in cold weather increases the chances of getting a cold	FALSE (62%)
17. On average, a person should consume about 3,000 calories per day	FALSE (62%)
18. Eating plenty of fiber reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases	TRUE (64%)
19. Antibiotics can be effective against the common cold	FALSE (65%)
20. HIV causes AIDS	TRUE (71%)

TAKE THE QUIZ