S4.4.7 For the adult
Lifestyle and disease
Can the way I live make me ill, even if I never catch a germ?
What this chapter teaches
Heart disease is non-communicable. A fatty deposit narrows the arteries that feed the heart muscle, and a block causes a heart attack. A lot of saturated fat or salt, smoking, heavy drinking and too little exercise raise the risk. BMI is mass in kilograms divided by the square of height in metres, with usual adult bands. Its limits are that it cannot tell muscle from fat, and that it is not used on its own for children, teenagers or pregnancy.
Three questions to ask
There is no one right wording. Listen for the idea.
- What is a risk factor, and can you name two for heart disease?
- How do you work out BMI?
- Why can BMI mislead for a very muscular person?
After the chapter, the learner can
- Explain links between diet, smoking, alcohol and heart disease
- Calculate body mass index and explain its limits
What they copy into their notebook
Fatty deposits narrow the arteries that feed the heart. Saturated fat, salt, smoking, heavy drinking and little exercise raise the risk. BMI is mass in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. It cannot tell muscle from fat.