Health 1 - Final Assessment

Final Assessment



Hello Class -

Here is the Final Assessment for the course. It is not an exam. You receive all 20 points for doing it. Please e-mail your reply to me.

My responses to several of the questions are below.


Answer these questions:

1. Many students enter Health 1 thinking that health is affected solely by nutrition and exercise. What is your understanding of how the mind affects health?

2. What did you learn about the technique of Anchoring?

3. Can you explain how exam stress can make a student susceptible to getting a cold?

4. Over one-third of the U.S. population is overweight to the point that it undermines their health. Many people who want to lose weight go on calorie-restricting weight-loss programs, which almost always fail in the long run. How would you advise someone to maintain proper weight?

5. In 1972, Dr. Breslow and Dr. Breslow found that certain common behaviors were associated with longevity and good health. In 1992, Dr. Ornish reported that certain behaviors were associated with reversal of blockage in coronary heart disease. Combining the Breslow and Ornish behaviors results in 12 common behaviors associated with health and well-being.

Has being a student in Health 1 influenced you to adopt any of these health behaviors? The behaviors are...

  1. 20 minutes per day of relaxation
  2. 2 times per week interpersonal sharing of feelings (social support)
  3. 7-8 hours sleep per night
  4. Vegetarian diet (eat low on the Food Guide Pyramid)
  5. No more than 10% of daily calories from fat
  6. Eat breakfast regularly
  7. Little between-meal snacking
  8. Daily yoga (stretching)
  9. Regular exercise (minimum 3-4 days a week)
  10. Body Weight not less than 10% and not more than 30% of recommend for height and body frame
  11. Little or no alcohol consumption
  12. No smoking


6. List two things you learned in Health 1 that you found interesting and/or helpful?

7. List two topics that you plan to learn more about?

8. What was the value of the Course Project?

9. How well did the course work without a textbook?

10. Describe a major strength of the course.

11. Describe any aspects of the course that could be improved.

12. How have you benefitted from taking Health 1 this past semester?

13. Anything else you want to comment on?


Instructor's Responses:

Question 5: Has being a student in Health 1 influenced you to adopt any of these health behaviors?

I hope so. I introduce these behaviors to show what we ought to do to enhance our health and well-being. Many of the course assignments are designed to acquaint students with them.

Quesiton 8: What was the value of the Course Project?

For some students, the project is just another assignment to slog through. Others use it in the way it is intended: to improve their lives.

Most students choosing a health behavior change project fall short of their goals. I think this is fine, because it demonstrates how difficult it is to make a health behavior change. However, by attempting to make a change AND STICKING WITH A PLAN, students learn that awareness and perseverance can make a big difference in their self-esteem. They come to see that falling short is a way to illuminate obstacles rather than as failure. And when you know the obstacles, you can make course corrections that get you closer to your goal.

The students who make the greatest strides with the project are those who quit smoking. These folks take on one of the most difficult health changes there is, and when they succeed, they have every right to feel damn proud of themselves.

Right now in your mind, give a pat on the back to your classmates who stopped smoking this semester.

Question 10: Describe a major strength of the course.

My vote: Students' dedication to their educations. All of you are in school to improve your lives. You are working extremely hard, sacrificing a lot of play and sleep time to make a dream come true. You are to be commended. (Your families and friends, too -- for supporting you!!)

Quesiton 12: How have you benefitted from taking Health 1 this past semester?

I have had the privilege and opportunity to be invited into some of your lives and to (hopefully) help you advance educationally and personally.

I am always humbled and grateful for the trust that many of you show me, and I am inspired by what many of you have overcome to improve your lives.

Question 13: Anything else you want to comment on?

Long ago and far away, when I was climbing out of one of the lowest points of my life, I sat in my therapist's office and asked, "Why am I working so hard to improve my life?"

My therapist, a very wise woman named Elsie, shrugged her shoulders, held up her arms, looked up at the ceiling, and said, "It's a force in the human spirit that seeks growth, harmony and wholeness."

I want you to know and believe that Elsie's "force" is within you already. (I know, I sound like a character in "Star Wars"). You do not have to seek it. You do not have to earn it. You only need to manifest it, which is not always easy. In our journey through life we experience many negative things and pick up habits of thought and behavior that become obstacles to manifesting that force. And sometimes we are so wounded by life and lost that it becomes thoroughly covered up, and we lose connection with it.

By virtue of being in college at this time of your life (and even taking this class), you demonstrate that you are not disconnected from Elsie's force. Remember this. No matter what, remember that you are capable of connecting with and manifesting your basic goodness. This may not make you wealthy, attractive, powerful, problem-free, or never sick, but it will make you content and wise.