Pre-reading questions:
- How does stress affect your eating habits?
- What do you do to cope with stress?
Vocabulary:
- cope [KOHP]
- variety [vuh-RAHY-i-tee]
- disadvantage [dis-uh d-VAN-tij]
- prevent [pri-VENT]
- survive [ser-VAHYV]
(verb) to deal with problems
She was able to cope because of her friends’ support.
(noun) many different types or things
I made a variety of desserts yesterday.
(noun) something that leads to unsuccessful results
There are disadvantages to living in a city.
(verb) to stop something from happening
The trees on the mountains prevent floods downtown.
(verb) to continue to live
He survived the earthquake ten years ago.
Stress affects people’s lives in many ways. Others cope with stress by doing a variety of activities that will make them relaxed. The most common way that people do to cope with stress is stress-eating. It is caused by hunger experienced by people who are stressed. Stress-eating is helpful as a short-term solution to stress but not in the long run.
As much as stress-eating helps people forget their problems, it also causes a lot of disadvantages. Weight gain is one of the most common problem caused by stress-eating. People tend to eat easily available food which are unhealthy most of the time. Problems, such as weight gain, could be prevented by having healthy food choices. Doing activities like walking or talking to someone are also very helpful. Indeed, eating is necessary for a person to survive, but a person must eat in moderation to remain healthy.
Comprehension Questions:
- What is the most common way that people do to cope with stress?
- What is the cause of stress-eating?
- What is the most common problem caused by stress-eating?
- What should people choose to eat to prevent weight gain?
- How can a person remain healthy?
Discussion Questions:
- What do you think are the most effective ways to be free from stress?
- Do people need to prevent stress-eating even if it makes them feel better? Why or why not?
- Is weight gain considered a big problem? Please explain your answer.
- Why do other people have a hard time coping with stress?
- What are the positive effects of stress?