Key Point #3
Diabetes results from a complex model of factors that all influence a person’s health. Some of those factors like healthy diet, low sugar intake, and exercise can reduce your risk of diabetes even if you are at high risk from your genes.
Key Point #2
Population-level data can be used to answer research questions about a community without having to collect information yourself.
Scientists use graphs of data they collect from the community to look for trends in diabetes over time. Students wrote research questions about why the number of people who have diabetes might change over time and then designed models using sand rats to get evidence to support their ideas. They finished their time with Monique by finishing their models of what controls her health. Diabetes results from factors like inheritance over several generations, environmental variation, and genetic variation in a complicated series of relationships. The students finished their models of Monique’s diabetes that they started in lesson one to show what they learned about diabetes and science through Health in Our Hands.
Key Point #1
Genes and environments can interact in a person, in a family, and in an entire population over time.
Lesson 8: How is our community affected by what we inherit, where we live, and what we eat?
How can we understand the health of a whole community at once?
L8: How can you control your health?
Food, physical activity and mindfullness
Make change
What else controls your health? Decide what you can change in your environment to take control and get healthier.
Do you know anyone who works in the healthcare field?
Ask them: "What does health mean to you?" What are the similarities and differences between their definition and yours?
Get fit
Find an activity that you enjoy and can do regularly to stay active and healthy. Try learning a new, active hobby to last a lifetime.
Eat right
Do your eating habits put you at risk for diabetes? Think about what your model says and how you can reduce your risk through changing your diet.
GOAL: Gain a new perspective on health
What controls your health?
Do they talk about any of the things from your model or subjects we discussed in class?
L8 Explore More: Interview someone in the healthcare field
How can you learn more?
