BIOLOGY · Stage 8 · Chapter 6: Nutrition, Health and Movement
Biology 6.11 Health and inequality — Global Health Perspectives — Alhussan International Academy - Biology (Stages 7-9) Revision Notes & Topical Questions
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Lesson summary
Biology 6.11 Health and inequality — Global Health Perspectives — Alhussan International Academy — Biology (Stages 7–9) notes: Describe how access to food and education affects health around the world and what can be done about inequality.Lifestyle — this chapter showed what make…
- Enough food
- Undernourished
- Use of crops
- Importance
- Both extremes
- Clean water and sanitation
Section 1 of 6Diet, lifestyle and evidence
- Lifestyle
- this chapter showed what makes a balanced diet and that lifestyle choices,
- from the type and amount of food to whether a person smokes tobacco, affect growth, development and well-being.
- Evidence
- the understanding is based on many observations and investigations.
- Puzzle
- many people still suffer deficiency diseases or are obese or smokers, so access to food and to education are examined.
Section 2 of 6Measuring health
- Health
- it includes physical, mental and social well-being and is more than not being ill.
- Measures
- life expectancy, the infant mortality rate (deaths of babies per 1000 births) and how common specific diseases are.
- (the average number of years a person is expected to live)
- life expectancy, the infant mortality rate (deaths of babies per 1000 births) and how common specific diseases are.
- Averages
- they hide differences within a country, so wealth, region and gender are also compared.
Section 3 of 6Access to food
- Enough food
- there is enough food in the world to feed everyone, but access is unequal.
- Some countries have more food than they can eat and many people become obese.
- Others do not have access to the food they need.
- Undernourished
- 11% of the world's population do not get enough energy and nutrients.
- (820 million people)
- 11% of the world's population do not get enough energy and nutrients.
- Stunting
- 22% of all children are stunted, so they do not grow properly because they lack a balanced diet.
- Use of crops
- only 55% of crops are eaten directly by people, and 36% are used as animal feed to produce meat, which is very inefficient.
- Waste
- up to one third of all food produced is spoiled or wasted.
- What can be done:
- improve farming methods so people everywhere grow more food;
- develop crops that grow in difficult conditions, such as too hot or too dry;
- reduce food waste everywhere;
- eat more plant protein (beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, soy) and less meat;
- control plant diseases and the organisms that destroy stored food.
Section 4 of 6Access to education
- Importance
- students must learn why a balanced diet matters,
- so that in future they make sure their own children get the food they need and the health of the whole country improves.
- Both extremes
- education matters where people have too little food and where there is plenty, as children need to learn the health risks of obesity.
- Evidence
- where people understand the risks of tobacco, smoking falls, and governments make smoking more expensive and ban it in many places.
- Time lag
- it takes at least 20 years after the smoking rate falls before lung cancer deaths fall.
- Inequality
- while education is unequal around the world, health inequalities will continue.
Section 5 of 6Why health differs around the world
- Nutrition
- too little food or a diet lacking nutrients causes deficiency diseases, and too much causes obesity and heart disease.
- Clean water and sanitation
- without them diseases such as cholera and dysentery spread.
- Healthcare
- doctors, vaccinations, medicines and trained midwives save lives.
- Education
- educated people, especially mothers, are better able to prevent illness.
- Income and housing
- poverty leads to crowded homes, stress and poorer diet.
- Conflict and disasters
- they damage hospitals and the food supply.
| Lower-income countries | Higher-income countries |
|---|---|
| More infectious diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis | More non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes |
| Deficiency diseases from poor diet | Illnesses linked to diet, inactivity, smoking and an ageing population |
| Fewer doctors per person | More doctors and hospitals |
- Within countries
- people in poor districts of a rich city can have a life expectancy many years lower than people in wealthy districts nearby.
Section 6 of 6Reducing inequality
- Methods
- vaccination programmes, clean water and toilets, bed nets against malaria-carrying mosquitoes, health education and training local health workers.
- Cooperation
- diseases cross borders, so improving health anywhere helps protect everyone.
- Public health
- money well spent matters, as moderate-income countries with strong vaccination and primary healthcare can have long life expectancy.
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