Unit 5: Diseases and Disorders | Video
Transcript:
Diseases and Disorders
SPEAKER 1: When you're young, you sometimes take your good health for granted. You're invincible. You don't worry about problems that you might get "down the road."
SPEAKER 2: But staying healthy throughout your entire life depends on the choices you make every day. The choices you're making right now.
SPEAKER 1: Illnesses and diseases are an unfortunate fact of life. Sometimes we are born with them. Some we fight off quickly; others are a lifelong battle.
SPEAKER 2: But you don't always have a say in the health problems you'll face, or when you'll face them.
SPEAKER 1: The decisions you make today can have a dramatic impact on your health in the future.
STEPHEN: I don't actually smoke that much. Probably two packs a week. So what? It's not like I do it here at school. Anyway, my parents know that I smoke and they smoke, too. So do all my friends. What's the big deal? I can quit whenever I want to.
CHARLES: Yeah, I just don't really have the time for exercise. By the time I get home from school, I'm just way too tired. I'd much rather just mess around with friends or play on the computer. I try not to eat too much junk food, but that's when I'm not playing on the computer or watching TV. I don't want to get fat. I just don't feel like running around all the time.
BRIDGETTE: I figure with most diseases, it's all genetic. I can eat all the junk food I want. I exercise. I run track. And I'm on the volleyball team. And my parents are in good health. So what's the problem?
RAYMOND: Yeah, I drink a little. But it's hard not to, and it's kind of unavoidable. But it's no big deal. I don't drink and drive, and I usually only drink on the weekends.
ROSE: Seriously? Cancer? I'm only fifteen. I can't be worrying about stuff like that right now. Just let me live my life. I have more important things to worry about. Besides, you can't come back from summer vacation without a tan.
SPEAKER 2: Though diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes often occur during adulthood, they usually stem from an ongoing unhealthy lifestyle. From the habits you are forming right now.
SPEAKER 1: Still, many people battle diseases and disorders at a young age as well. Whether it's AIDS, cancer, or just the flu, it's important to stay educated, to understand how these diseases can be prevented, to get regular checkups, and to learn how you can support friends and family members who are struggling to stay healthy.
So think about what you can do, not only to keep yourself healthy and illness-free, but to better ensure the health of those around you. And think about these questions as well.