Study Cases: Eating Disorders, Undernutrition, and Overnutrition

Introduction

Consumption is a fundamental part of our daily lives, but the choices we make about what and how much we eat have far-reaching consequences. In this WebQuest, you will explore the critical importance of consumption through the lenses of three major health issues: Eating Disorders, Undernutrition, and Overnutrition. By examining these study cases, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the impact of dietary habits on individual health and society.

Task

Your mission is to investigate the three study cases—Eating Disorders, Undernutrition, and Overnutrition—by working through a series of guided activities. You'll present your findings in a detailed report that addresses the following key questions:

What are the causes and effects of each condition?
How does each condition affect individuals and communities?
What strategies can be implemented to prevent and treat these conditions?

Process

STEP 1. Understanding the Basics:

Students will login to the twinspace of our project and take alook to the pages:

They will follow all activities -except teamwork ones- prior to this webquest implementation.

STEP 2. Case Studies:

Students will be devided in 3 teams:

TEAM A: Eating disorders: Case Study

Take a look to the following photos (these are translated by using Google translation as their origins were designed for the "Health and Nutrition" subject in Greek language) and try to form the psychological profile of the protagonists, the causes that led them to the specific disorder and the symptoms that lead you to understand what they suffer from. What are the commonalities of the two stories?? Post your findings in the padlet:

https://padlet.com/erasmushealthschools2024/eating-disorders-case-study-s25pxutio2u4ehu1

TEAM B: UNDERNUTRITION: CASE STUDY

Southern Italy, particularly regions like Calabria, Sicily, and Campania, has historically faced challenges with undernutrition, especially in its rural areas. Although Italy is a developed country, significant disparities exist between the wealthy northern regions and the poorer southern regions. These disparities are influenced by environmental, economic, and social factors, contributing to the persistence of undernutrition in certain populations. Explore how environmental, economic, and social factors contribute to the problem and what efforts are being made to combat it. Post your findings to the padlet:

https://padlet.com/erasmushealthschools2024/undernutrition-case-study-p9mafidnfgfd2kgn

TEAM C: OVERNUTRITION: CASE STUDY

Overnutrition is increasingly prevalent among adolescents in urban areas of Greece. This trend is alarming because it not only affects the current health of young people but also sets the stage for chronic diseases later in life, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. The rise in overnutrition among Greek adolescents is influenced by a combination of lifestyle changes, cultural shifts, and food availability, particularly in urban settings like Athens and Thessaloniki. Could you make a research and investigate how lifestyle, cultural factors, and food availability contribute to the condition? Post your findings to the padlet:

https://padlet.com/erasmushealthschools2024/overnutrition-case-study-uvojxiq6r3jork1

STEP 3. Problem-Solving Activity:

Create a public health campaign aimed at addressing these three conditions. Your campaign should include a summary of your findings as well as three (3) informative posters: one for obesity, one for eating disorders and one for nutrient deficiencies in adolescence, designed by each team and posted to the following padlet :

https://padlet.com/erasmushealthschools2024/malnutrition-in-adolescence-atzh8o746qxq23dh

Evaluation

Criteria	Excellent (5)	Good (4)	Satisfactory (3)	Needs Improvement (2)	Unsatisfactory (1)
Understanding of Concepts	Demonstrates a thorough understanding of nutrition-related issues and case studies.	Shows a good understanding of most concepts with minor inaccuracies.	Displays a basic understanding but lacks depth.	Limited understanding; several inaccuracies present.	Does not demonstrate understanding of concepts.
Team Collaboration	Actively engages with team members and contributes significantly to the discussion and findings.	Participates in team activities and contributes to discussions.	Occasionally participates but lacks consistent engagement.	Rarely participates; minimal contribution to team discussions.	Does not contribute to team activities.
Research and Analysis	Provides insightful analysis and connections between case studies and health issues.	Analyzes case studies with some connections made to health issues.	Basic analysis provided; few connections made.	Limited analysis; connections are unclear or weak.	No analysis or connections made.
Presentation Quality	Posters are visually appealing, well-organized, and professionally presented.	Posters are organized and mostly visually appealing, with minor issues.	Posters are somewhat organized but lack visual appeal.	Posters are poorly organized and visually unappealing.	No posters submitted or very poorly presented.

Conclusion

Through this WebQuest, you will have developed a comprehensive understanding of why consumption matters. You'll have explored the devastating effects of improper consumption and learned the importance of balanced, informed dietary choices. The knowledge gained here can empower you to make healthier decisions for yourself and advocate for positive change in your community.

Teacher Page

This WebQuest was edited by A.Mylona, a teacher of 1st EPAL Nafpaktou, Greece, as part of the activities of the "Addressing Health and Wellbeing at Schools and beyond" (HEALTH@SCHOOLS) Erasmus+ project (Project number: 2023-2-SK01-KA210-000176581).

This WebQuest reflects only the author’s views. The European Commission’s support for the production of this WebQuest does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.