Food, Fitness and Health Quiz

Your "picture of health" is about how you do the things you do or lifestyle. Everything from eating, exercise and precautions you take, such as wearing your seat belt to food handling, food safety and food storage is included. See how well you do on the following set of questions.

Food Safety

1) The unpleasant symptoms of food poisoning include diarrhea, nausea, chills and/or fever. More serious effects may include:

a. Temporary or permanent arthritis
b. Meningitis
c. Death
d. All of the above

2) The bacteria that causes food poisoning does not cause food spoilage (spoiled taste, smell or look bad.)

a. True b. False

3) Proper cooking and/or heating of foods will prevent all foodborne illness.

a. True b. False

4) Freezing kills any bacteria that may be in food.

a. True b. False

Health/Fitness

5) Your cholesterol level is considered normal if it is 200 or less.

a. True b. False

6) Normal blood pressure is 140/85.

a. True b. False

7) If your height and weight are within the numbers listed on standardized height/weight charts, your fitness level is probably good.

a. True b. False

Food and Nutrition

8) Which piece of chicken contains the most fat (assuming all pieces are prepared in the same manner and each contains the same amount of meat?)

a. breast
b. thigh
c. wing

9) Ready-to-eat breakfast cereal is a great way to boost your fiber intake. Rank these cereals from most to least according to their fiber content in a one ounce serving.

a. Kellogg's Corn Flakes
b. Post Grape-Nuts
c. Kellogg's Bran Flakes
d. General Mills Wheaties

10) Which kind of fat can raise your cholesterol level?

a. Saturated fat
b. Monounsaturated fat
c. Polyunsaturated fat
d. All of the above

Food, Fitness and Health Quiz Answers

1) d. Diarrhea and resulting dehydration may require hospitalization and diarrhea can lead to temporary or permanent arthritic conditions in some people. Bacteria can invade the blood stream or the membranes of the brain and spinal cord which is meningitis. At worst, the human costs include grief and death.

2) True. When spoilage organisms invade food, there are usually sensory signs of spoilage such as the visible mold on bread, slimy ham or sour fermented orange juice. However, the result of bacteria causing foodborne illness is no change in odor or taste. That¹s why people eat it. There are two ways illness can occur, 1) is when a person injects live bacteria, which survives the digestion and reproduces in the small intestine to numbers large enough to cause symptoms. 2) is when bacteria multiply and form toxins or poisons in cooked food or the intestinal tract. In some cases it is a combination of both.

3) False. High cooking and re-heating temperatures (above 140°F) will kill disease-causing bacteria, but some bacteria produce toxins or poisons in food. Some toxins are not destroyed by high cooking temperatures. Still others produce bacterial spores in food, which are only destroyed at very high steam pressure (240°F) temperature. Since water boils at 212°F it would take more than 6 hours of boiling to kill some spores.

4) False. Freezing slows or stops the growth of some bacteria, but they are not killed. Some bacteria continue to grow even at freezer temperatures. After defrosting, contaminated food becomes more dangerous than ever. Make sure you cook frozen-prepared food thoroughly after defrosting.

5) True. Although some doctors and dietitians recommend 180 to further reduce the risk of heart disease.

6) False. Normal blood pressure is 130/85 or less. The top number, systolic pressure, is a measure of the amount of pressure on your heart when it is pumping blood out through your arteries. The bottom number, diastolic pressure, is the amount of pressure on your heart and arteries between beats when your heart is at rest. If the top or bottom numbers are higher than normal, it could lead to heart and blood vessel damage even when you are resting. Check it out!

7) False. The information on height/weight charts should only be used as a guideline. Healthy weight also involves the amount of body fat you carry. Contact a certified exercise specialist, registered dietitian or registered nutrition counselor for help in making this determination.

8) c. The white meat of chicken wings are much more fatty than the dark meat of the thigh. In fact the wing and leg represent the most fatty parts of a chicken.

9) c. 5 grams
d. 3 grams
b. 2.5 grams
a. 0 grams
Select a cereal that provides at least 4 grams of fiber per serving. Be sure to read cereal labels and check the Nutrition Facts information under dietary fiber. The recommendation is 20-35 grams of fiber per day. Adequate intake of fiber helps to prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain forms of cancer.

10) a. High levels of artery clogging saturated fats, which is fat that is a solid at room temperature, are found in foods like butter, margarine, meat, cheese, whole milk, vegetable shortening and premium ice cream. High levels of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are found in olive oil, corn oil, sunflower oil and peanut oil. They can actually help to lower cholesterol levels when consumed in the recommended amounts.

For more information about food safety visit the Consumer Information and Education web site developed by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The FSIS Home Page can be accessed at: http://www.usda.gov./fsis or call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555.

Spring 1997
Planting Roses | Integrated Pest Management for Vegetable Gardens | All America Selections 1997 Winners | Easter Lilies | Winter Problems of Lawns | Seeding and Sodding Lawns | Bug Bites: Understanding Pesticides | Lawn Care Calendar | Hort Shorts | Hort Tips | Food Safety: Seafood Selection & Handling | Healthy Cooking: Plan to Use More Herbs | Fitness & Exercise: Do You Need a Weightier Workout Than Walking? | Health Update: Food, Fitness and Health Quiz

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