Grade 10 English (New Course) Unit 3 Health and Wellness Reading II- A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life

Reading II

Look at the picture and guess.

a. What do you think this picture is about?

b. What is the woman doing?

 

A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

I'm delighted to have the honour of opening this international conference on the Joint Programming Initiative "A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life".

 

It's a topic that's never out of the media, with endless variations on whether carbs, fat, sugar or protein are good or bad, or reports on the latest wonderfood that will stop cancer in its tracks or help us live longer.

 

We are now relying on science and innovation to help us tackle the new public health challenge that is diet and lifestyle-related dis- eases such as overweight and obesity - sometimes described as the greatest public health challenge of our times.

 

It's a challenge that all member states are facing to different degrees, so it makes perfect sense both scientifically and economically - to pool our knowledge together.

 

That's why this Joint Programming Initiative is so important.

 

When Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life was launched, the Council of the European Union noted that in the last three decades the levels of overweight and obesity in the EU have risen dramatically, particularly among children, and that the trend of poor diet and low physical activity is getting even worse.

 

Many chronic conditions such as cancer, neurological and mental disorders, cardiovascular diseases, obesity and type 2 diabetes can be prevented or modified through better lifestyles and healthier diets.

 

Different projects are delivering insights such as how diabetes and obesity can be prevented, how they progress, how early diagnosis can improve quality of life, and how to select the best treatments.

 

But despite the improvements, much more needs to be done, particularly because of the trans-generational effects of obesity and diabetes.

 

Horizon 2020, Europe's 80-billion-euro research and innovation programme, is designed to tackle society's biggest challenges.

 

The two things that are most relevant to 'A Healthy Diet for A Healthy Life' are food safety and the bioeconomy, and health, demographic change and wellbeing.

 

For the next seven years (2014-2020), these challenges will fund the very best research on nutrition, health, diet-related disease and ageing and translate the knowledge gained into innovative and effective products, treatments, services and strategies to benefit all patients, and to prevent many people from developing disease in the first place.

 

It will require an unprecedented level of cooperation along the healthcare innovation chain, starting with researchers that char acterise diseases, to those who use this knowledge by developing new biomarkers, diagnostics and medicines and to regulators who evaluate and approve them.

Unfortunately, different attempts to encourage healthier eating have not yet led to major changes in patterns of food purchase and consumption.

 

That's where a multidisciplinary approach comes in, with health and nutrition research and innovation that includes the social sciences. We all know, for example, that understanding people's behaviours and their relationship to food and exercise is vital in helping them to make healthier choices.

 

I'm convinced that Horizon 2020 can make excellent progress on research and innovation for healthy diets and healthy lives.

 

There's no point in all this effort if the good intentions of the Research Agenda aren't turned into concrete action.

 

So, implementation is important, and this will be achieved first by coordinating national research programmes and activities.

 

Today's launch of the implementation plan marks a major step forward in putting the Strategic Research Agenda into action.

 

And I also encourage you to explore other avenues besides joint calls and knowledge networks to implement your Strategic Research Agenda such as linking to other relevant JPIs and by benefiting from common European research infrastructures.

 

Above all, in this critical phase of implementation, I urge the Member States participating in this JPI to unlock national funding for research and to actively engage in aligning national research programmes and innovation policies.

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

I wish you an excellent conference, full of innovative ideas and interesting discussions. I look forward to hearing the results.

Thank you.

 

(The text is an adapted version of the opening address to the conference on the Joint Programmaing Initiative (JPI) delivered by Maire Geoghegan- Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, in Brussels on 28 March 2014.)

 

Glossary:

delighted - आनन्दित (Nepali), feeling or showing great pleasure or satisfaction

conference - सम्मेलन (Nepali), a meeting of people for a specific purpose, especially for discussion or training.

wonder-food - अद्भुत खाद्य (Nepali), a term used to describe food that is considered to have exceptional health benefits.

innovation - अभिनवता (Nepali), the action or process of introducing new ideas, devices or methods.

dramatically - अति आकर्षक रूपमा (Nepali), in a sudden, striking, or surprising way.

trend - प्रवृत्ति (Nepali), a general direction in which something is developing or changing.

chronic - चिरोत्थान (Nepali), persisting for a long time or constantly recurring.

neurological - स्नायु-विज्ञानिक (Nepali), relating to the study of the nervous system.

cardiovascular diseases - हृदय र धमनी रोग (Nepali), diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

diagnosis - निदान (Nepali), the identification of a disease or other condition.

trans-generational - जनांतरिक (Nepali), relating to the transmission of traits or conditions from one generation to another.

bioeconomy - जैव अर्थव्यवस्था (Nepali), an economy based on the use of biological resources and processes to produce goods and services.

demographic change - जनसांख्यिकीय परिवर्तन (Nepali), a shift or change in the characteristics of a population over time.

unprecedented - अभूतपूर्व (Nepali), never done or known before.

biomarkers - जैव चिह्न (Nepali), measurable indicators of a biological state or condition.

diagnostics - निदानको जाँच (Nepali), the process of identifying a disease or condition through examination or testing.

consumption - खपत (Nepali), the act of using up a resource or product.

multidisciplinary approach - बहुविषयी ढाँचा (Nepali), an approach that involves the collaboration of experts from different disciplines to solve complex problems.

avenues - मार्ग (Nepali), a way of approaching a problem or achieving a goal.

aligning - समतुल्य गर्नु (Nepali), to bring into line or agreement with a particular goal or objective.

 

A. Consult a dictionary or the internet and define the following words/phrases.

a. wonderfood - आश्चर्यजनक खाद्य वस्तु (a food that is believed to have exceptional health benefits)

b. cardiovascular diseases - हृदयरोग (diseases related to the heart and blood vessels)

c. bioeconomy - जैव अर्थव्यवस्था (an economic system based on the sustainable use of biological resources and the principles of ecology)

d. demographic change - जनसांख्यिक परिवर्तन (changes in the size, structure, and distribution of population in a geographic region)

e. multidisciplinary approach - बहुविषयीय दृष्टिकोण (an approach that involves the collaboration of experts from different fields to solve complex problems)

f. economic inequalities - आर्थिक असमानता (differences in income and wealth among individuals and groups within a society)

g. neurological disorders - स्नायु विकार (disorders affecting the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and nerves)

h. biomarkers - जैव-मापक (measurable indicators of biological processes, such as the presence of certain molecules or substances in the body, used to identify or monitor a disease or condition)

 

B. Complete the sentences below with one of the words in red from the text above.

a.     The children were especially delighted that there were enough cookies for each of them to have two.

b.     The organization held its annual conference in New York this year. The health ministers of more than forty countries attended it.

c.     It is innovation that makes any organization a successful one.

d.     Your life changes dramatically if you perform well in your study.

e.     Mr. Gurung is leaving the job because of neurological disease.

f.      Early diagnosis of a disease helps us to cure it soon.

g.     We have faced unprecedented level of climate change at present.

h.     The patient may need blood work or other biomarkers to determine his specific health problem.

i.      The world looked for different multidisciplinary solution to COVID-19.

 

 

C. Choose the best alternatives to complete the following sentences.

a.     The greatest public health challenge at present is ………..

i. cancer                  ii. diabetes

iii. obesity               iv. cardiovascular disease

 

b.     The Joint Programming Initiative will bring the ………….. of member states together.

i. lifestyle                         ii. economy

iii. challenge            iv. knowledge

 

c.     The health care innovation chain begins from ……………

i. researchers         ii. biomarkers

iii. diagnostics         iv. regulators

 

d.     The need behind multidisciplinary approach is ………….

i. the unchanged pattern of food purchase and consumption

ii. the lack of effective treatments for patients

iii. the poor quality of life

iv. the lack of progress in research and innovation

 

e.     Through this speech, the speaker wants to.........

i. open the conference on the Joint Programming Initiative

ii. invite new public health challenge

iii. launch the programme 'A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life'

iv. appeal the members of EU for collaboration for research and innovation

 

D. Answer the following questions.

a.     What topic is the speaker talking about when she says, a topic that's never out of the media...?"

Ans:- The speaker is talking about the Joint Programming Initiative "A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life" which is a topic that is frequently covered in the media.

 

 

b.     According to the speaker, what is the cause of obesity among children in the EU?

Ans:- The speaker notes that the levels of overweight and obesity in the EU have risen dramatically, particularly among children, due to poor diet and low physical activity.

 

c.     What should people do to prevent themselves from the diseases like type 2 diabetes?

Ans:- The speaker suggests that better lifestyles and healthier diets can prevent or modify many chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. People can prevent themselves from these diseases by making healthier food choices and engaging in physical activity.

 

d.     What is Horizon 2020?

Ans:- Horizon 2020 is Europe's 80-billion-euro research and innovation programme designed to tackle society's biggest challenges. It will fund research on nutrition, health, diet-related disease, and aging, and translate knowledge gained into innovative and effective products, treatments, services, and strategies.

 

e.     Why is research very important to fight against the health challenges?

Ans:- Research is important to fight against health challenges because it can provide insights into how diseases such as diabetes and obesity can be prevented and how to select the best treatments. Additionally, research can help translate this knowledge into innovative and effective products and strategies.

 

f.      What result can Horizon 2020 give if it is implemented effectively?

Ans:- If implemented effectively, Horizon 2020 can provide funding for research on nutrition, health, diet-related disease, and aging, and translate knowledge gained into innovative and effective products, treatments, services, and strategies. This can benefit all patients and prevent many people from developing diseases in the first place.

 

g.     What results does the speaker expect from the conference?

Ans:- The speaker expects the conference to generate innovative ideas and interesting discussions about research and innovation for healthy diets and healthy lives.

 

h.     Do you think that the people of the EU will be benefitted by this conference? If yes, what benefits will they get?

Ans:- Yes, the people of the EU will benefit from this conference as it brings together experts to discuss solutions to the public health challenge of diet and lifestyle-related diseases. The conference can help facilitate cooperation among Member States and promote research and innovation for healthier diets and lifestyles. The outcomes of this conference can ultimately benefit individuals' health and improve public health outcomes.

 

E.     Draft a short speech entitled, 'Importance of Exercise for Healthy Life' and deliver it in a small group.

 

Good morning everyone,

 

Today, I want to talk about the "Importance of Exercise for a Healthy Life". We all know that exercise is good for us, but sometimes it's hard to make time for it in our busy lives. However, the benefits of regular exercise are too important to ignore.

 

Firstly, exercise can help prevent many chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It helps to keep our hearts and blood vessels healthy, as well as improve our insulin sensitivity, which is crucial for preventing diabetes.

 

Secondly, exercise is great for our mental health. It can help to reduce stress and anxiety, and even alleviate symptoms of depression. Exercise releases endorphins, which are chemicals in our brains that make us feel happy and relaxed.

 

Thirdly, exercise helps us to maintain a healthy weight. When we exercise regularly, we burn calories and build muscle, which helps to increase our metabolism and burn even more calories throughout the day.

 

Lastly, exercise can be fun! There are so many different types of exercise to choose from, whether it's going for a walk or run, taking a yoga class, or playing a sport with friends. Find an activity that you enjoy, and you'll be more likely to stick with it.

 

Dear friends! Exercise is a key component of a healthy lifestyle. It can prevent chronic diseases, improve our mental health, help us maintain a healthy weight, and be a fun activity to do with friends and family. So, let's all make an effort to incorporate regular exercise into our daily routines.

 

Thank you.