A peak flow meter is a small device that you blow into. It measures the fastest rate of air (airflow) that you can blow out of your lungs. It records airflow in litres per minute (l/min). Your doctor may prescribe you a peak flow meter if you have asthma. There are different brands of peak flow meter. They all do the same job. A peak flow meter can be used by most adults and children but for children who are over the age of 6. If you use a peak flow meter then the reading of the meter will vary according to your age, height and your gender. A 25 year old, who is 6’1” tall to have an average peak flow reading of 627 litres, A 40 year old woman who is 5’2” tall is expected to have an average peak flow reading of 427 litres per minute. A child who is between 6 and 15 years old and is 4’9” is expected to have and average peak flow of 254 litres per minute.
My case study’s peak flow reading is:
She is 5.3m and her reading is 410 litres.
Another measurement that is physical is the Body Mass Index. Body Mass Index (BMI) is the measure of body fat based on the height and weight of both men and women. To calculate the body mass index you have to divide your body weight by the square of your height. BMI can be used to indicate is you are over weight, obese, under weight or normal.
The ranges of the BMI values as set into categories. These categories are:
Body Mass Index: 49 (M) /1.57²=19.87
My case study’s BMI is 19.87 and according to this data she is the ideal weight. As her weight is ideal she does not need to lose weight. She is eating the right amount of food to keep her weight which is good for her health but although she is ideal it is very important to maintain her BMI and also eat a balanced diet. Maintaining the ideal weight is important for protection against obesity related illnesses and disabilities. It is really important that my case study has a balanced diet because a balanced diet contains carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals, and fibre. All of these should be taken in the right proportion.
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Carbohydrates: these provide a source of energy.
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Proteins: these provide a source of materials for growth and repair.
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Fats: these provide a source of energy and contain fat soluble vitamins.
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Vitamins: these are required in very small quantities to keep you healthy.
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Mineral Salts: these are required for healthy teeth, bones, muscles etc.
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Fibre: this is required to help your intestines function correctly; it is not digested.
BMI is different used differently for children. It is calculated the same way as adult but is then compared to the children of the same age. Another factor that could affect the BMI is the gender. BMI can be calculated in clinics without expensive experiments. BMI fails to take in account the proportions of fat, bone, cartilage, water weight frame size and muscularity. But this is different for athletes because athletes tend to have muscles that are denser than fat. Due to this athletes tend to be obese or over weight according to their BMI.
Another physical measurement that is kind of related to the BMI is the height and weight of a person. According to my case study she is ideal in weight. There is a chart for the height and weight of a person and it is based on the body mass index of both women and men.
There are quite a lot of factors that affect your height and weight. The factors that affect your height are:
- Exercise and fitness
- Pollution exposures
- Sleep patterns
- Climate
- Genetics factors
- Environmental factors
- Stress
A combination of factors affects your weight such as
- Family’s medical history
- Genes
- Whether you smoke
- The type of food you eat
- How active you are
An additional physical measurement is the heart rate of a person. Heart rate is simply the number of times your heart beats per minute. Your heart or pulse rate can be measured anywhere in the body where the artery is near the surface of your skin. Some of the places where you can measure your heart rate are:
- The inside of your wrist on the side of the thumb (radial artery)
- The neck (carotid artery)
- The chest (aorta)
This is the normal heart rate that a person should have is shown opposite.
Above is a resting heart rate chart for men and women.
The resting heart rate of my case study is 75 beats per minute. According to this statistic she is in the average part of the chart/table.
How to measure your pulse
Taking your pulse is really easy. You do not need any special equipment to measure your pulse however you may need a stopwatch.
- Turn your palm facing upwards.
- Place your index finger and middle finger your wrist.
- Press your fingers down in between your tendons and the bones. You should feel throbbing which is your pulse.
- Count the number for ten seconds and multiply be 6. This will give you your heart rate.
A normal heart rate is about lies in the range of 60-100. Your heart rate will vary according your factors of activity and stress. Conversely if someone’s heart rate is over 90 all the time it suggests that the person is unhealthy and unfit and putting themselves at risk.
Negative aspect of my case study
My case study is in stress and she feels that she is a burden on her family members. Her family and friends strive to keep her happy but only works sometimes. He best way of managing stress is to look after yourself, take some days off at work, spend some days doing relaxing things that make you feel good, do one thing at a time, don’t expect too much of yourself and walk away from stressful situations. She can also try to join sports club, go dancing, do some relaxation therapy, meditation, yoga, counselling and try to get enough sleep.
She can try out the different sports at the Thornton Heath Leisure Centre
Thornton Heath Leisure Centre
High Street
Thornton Heath
Croydon
Surrey
CR7 8LF
0208 689 5300
Another negative aspect of my case study is that she doesn’t get sufficient sleep. Lack of sleep can badly affect the function of the brain. People who fail to get enough sleep after a long day at work can be outing their lives at risk. Those who sleep less than six hours a day don’t live as long as people who sleep more than seven hours a day. To overcome this problem she could make a sleep timetable or she could manage her time well or even talk to her General Practitioner.
An additional aspect that is negative in my case study’s life is that she doesn’t have a balanced diet and this could cause problems to her body. She only has a meal at night and only eats a tiny portion throughout the day. This could cause problems to her body which could cause growth problems.
If she doesn’t have enough carbohydrates in her body she could feel tired. Carbohydrates can be found in potatoes.
Too little protein could mean that her body won’t heal quickly. Proteins can be found in fish, meat, eggs.
Too little fat in her body means that she will not get all the vitamins she needs for her body to work properly.
Calcium is also necessary, for her bones, muscles and nerves. Calcium can be found in milk and cheese.
Iron is needed to make haemoglobin in your blood. You can find iron in turkey, clams and oysters.
Iodine is needed to control how fast your body works. It can be found in salt. If she doesn’t eat enough fibre the food won’t move smoothly through her digestive system.
Fibre can be found in wholemeal products such as bread.
Physically she will not be as strong as the people who are of the same age of her and eat a balanced diet. Intellectually she finds it hard to learn new skills as her brain wont function appropriately. Emotionally she does not feel good about herself as a balanced diet helps people to look good. Socially she does not socialize with herself because she does not feel good about herself and does not want to go out because she has a low self esteem. In addition to this she doesn’t also exercise much as she goes to work by car and comes back by car as well.
So according to this I will have to make an exercise plan for her to become slightly healthier than she is.
This plan will be followed by my client for about 2 months and each plan will take place one after the other. So they alternate each week. I have not included any meat dishes in the plans because my case study is a vegetarian.
For an exercise plan my case study will have to flow this plan for about 1 month at the least. It is important
Week one
Week two
Questionnaire
- How do you travel to work?
- How many portions of junk food on average do you take a week?
- Do you have five fruits and vegetable a day?
- Do you drink alcohol?
- If yes, how many pints do you drink a week?
- Do you smoke?
- If yes, how many cigarettes do you have a day?
- How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
- How helpful do you find the health plan that I set up?
- Do you think that you are going to stick to the exercise plan?
Feedback
Bibliography
- Part B coursework
- GCSE Science revision Guide