This episode’s vocabulary
Commonplace
adjective — happening often or seen frequently. → Going to the gym is commonplace these days.
Health-conscious
adjective — aware of and concerned about health. → People today are more health-conscious than before.
Context
noun — the situation or circumstances around something. → It depends on the context.
Afford
verb — to have enough money or resources to do something. → You might be able to afford what you need.
Relative lack of
phrase — having less of something compared to before. → There is a relative lack of demand on people’s time.
Conducive to
phrase — making a certain outcome likely or possible. → Some lifestyles aren’t conducive to good health.
Performance-enhancing drugs
noun — substances that improve athletic ability. → Some people take performance-enhancing drugs.
Endocrine disruption
noun — interference with the body’s hormone systems. → They may suffer from endocrine disruption.
Osteoporosis
noun — a disease that weakens bones. → Performance-enhancing drugs can lead to osteoporosis.
Embody a good example
phrase — to show good behavior through your own actions. → Parents should embody a good example.
Multicultural society
noun — a community with people from different cultural backgrounds. → Health concepts vary in a multicultural society.
Sustainable
adjective — able to be maintained over time. → We need a sustainable way to stay healthy.
Awareness-raising campaign
noun — an effort to inform people about an issue. → The government runs awareness-raising campaigns.
Flyer
noun — a small printed sheet with information or advertising. → Charities send out flyers about healthy living.
Misleading
adjective — giving the wrong idea or impression. → The food pyramid poster is extremely misleading.
Balanced diet
noun — a way of eating that includes all necessary nutrients. → A balanced diet is key to staying healthy.
Regular check-up
noun — a routine medical examination. → You should have a regular check-up with your doctor.
Preventive care
noun — actions taken to avoid illness or injury. → Exercise is part of preventive care.
Hydration
noun — the process of keeping the body supplied with water. → Hydration is essential for good health.
Sleep hygiene
noun — habits that help you sleep well. → Good sleep hygiene improves overall health.
Questions and answers
Do schools have the responsibility to provide health education?
Well, the easy answer is yes, since their job is to educate and to provide a good future. But this sort of breaks down when we consider that concepts of what is healthy vary from place to place. And in a multicultural society, that can be really hard to balance, especially when it comes to religious matters, like what foods are considered good and bad. It's probably better that they help students identify how they might go or they might best go about being healthy in a way that fits their lives and biology. That seems more sustainable and practical.
Where can people find information about keeping healthy?
Well, all over the place. You can hardly take a breath. There's someone offering you some sort of health advice, whether it's government awareness-raising campaigns or various charities sending out flyers or running ad campaigns to help people make the right choices. I mean, even the food industry contributed to that horrendous food pyramid poster you see plastered around schools, which is extremely misleading, but it's still information about keeping healthy. So it's everywhere.