Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Essential Health 1
To the Student
We wrote this exciting new textbook for high school health and
wellness classes based on our experiences as professors of psychology
(Catherine Sanderson) and biology (Mark Zelman), and as the accom-
plished authors of college-level textbooks. Our combined backgrounds
give us a deep well of knowledge of the most current scientifi c theory and
research to draw from.
Perhaps the most valuable experience we had in preparing to write this
book is our roles as parents to a combined total of seven children, ages 8
through 22. After all, in writing this book, we both refl ected frequently on
our experiences as parents and our goal of ensuring that our own children
maintain excellent physical, emotional, intellectual, and social health.
This book includes all of the standard topics found in high school health
and wellness books—including nutrition, physical fi tness, substance use
and abuse (including alcohol and tobacco), stress management, disease
prevention, and healthy relationships. Additionally we also included
essential material not often found in such books. This material includes
chapters discussing the impact of sleep on psychological and physical
well-being and strategies for maintaining a positive body image (even in
the face of media pressure to achieve unrealistic body shapes and sizes).
You’ll also read how health can change across a person’s life span, including
during adolescence.
We wanted our book to give high school students the most current
health information, presented in an engaging writing style so students
would enjoy reading the book. We also fi lled the book with practical skills
teenagers can use in their own lives.
Finally, as the authors of successful college-level textbooks, we felt
confi dent in our research and writing abilities, but felt that the pedagogy
was better left to master teachers. We would like to thank Health Education
Specialist Melanie Lynch, of State College Area High School North, State
College, Pennsylvania, and Instructional Specialist Melissa Munsell, of
North East Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas, for developing
the questions and activities that are a vital part of this course. We hope you
are delighted with the fi nal product, and wish all readers of this book a
lifetime of good health.