Summary: The Importance Of Caring For Our Bodies

Throughout chapter three, we learned about the importance of caring for our bodies. I found three particular reasons for caring for our bodies were the most obvious to me. First, maintaining our physical bodies improves our quality of life. Closely related, caring for our bodies is not only good for us physically, but also emotionally and mentally. If we maintain our physical fitness, we do not have the mental and emotional repercussions of illness and weakness. Thirdly, the better we treat our bodies, the more likely it is for our longevity to be increased. As part of caring for our bodies, we look to participate in healthful behaviors. One healthful behavior we can practice is to choose wisely from each of the five food groups. Choosing …show more content…
Now, we can discuss risky behaviors. Risky behaviors, such as taking drugs, drinking alcohol, and smoking, are important to avoid so that we avoid the negative impacts they have not only on our bodies, but on our interpersonal relationships as well. The first risky behavior I mentioned was taking drugs. Let’s specify: when we say “taking drugs” with a negative connotation, we are referring to substance abuse; taking prescription medications that were not prescribed for you, not following the directions on over-the-counter medications; and taking illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and heroine. It’s important to avoid taking drugs as they have several effects on the body. Illegal drugs or improper use of medication can result in addiction; you become dependent on the drug or medication. This leads to other negative effects on the body. Some drugs are hallucinogenics, which mean they cause someone to hallucinate—see things that are not there, believe things that are not true, and become irrational. This can put you in harm’s way. Also a common side effect of many drugs is your release of your inhibitions. When you are not being guarded by inhibitions, you will likely do things that will get you into a lot of trouble; things that can even be dangerous. If you take too much of a drug, you can overdose—your body cannot handle the amount of drug in your system and shuts down. Another risky behavior is drinking. As with drugs, you can develop a dependency on alcohol-- becoming an alcoholic. In the long term, your brain size is reduced and the liver and pancreas will become destroyed. In the short term, drinking reduces your mental and physical control. After drinking, your inhibitions are lowered, and your ability to think clearly is inhibited. As a result, again, you may put yourself in harm’s way. By avoiding drinking, you can avoid violence, injury, and