HEALTH MODULE FOR

GRADE 6 LEARNERS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This module is intended for Grade 6
learners and can be answered with the
Lesson 1: Nutrition Problems
help of parents, siblings or guardians. It

contains two lessons:
Content overview and objectives 2
• Nutrition Problems Let’s get started 2
• Developing Healthy Habits Let’s read and learn 3
Let’s try this 4
Let’s read and learn 5
Think about this 8
What have we learned so far 9

Lesson 2: Developing Healthy Habits

ICON GUIDE
Content overview and objectives 11
This icon refers to sections in this Let’s get started 11
module that are to be read with the Let’s read and learn 12
learner Now try this 15
This icon refers to sections that need
to be answered
This icon refers to sections that
describe more learning activities

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LESSON 1
NUTRITION PROBLEMS
CONTENT OVERVIEW OBJECTIVES
In this lesson, you will learn about the nutrients that By the end of this module, you should be able to:
your body needs for growth and development. 1. Describe problems on nutritional status.
1. Malnutrition is a condition where the body does 2. Explain nutrients needed for growth and
not receive the proper amount of nutrients it development.
needs to maintain health. There are two types of
malnutrition: undernutrition and overnutrition.
2. Undernutrition happens when the body does not
receive enough nutrients because of inadequate In this lesson, we will learn to:
food intake.
Choose Nutritious Manage
3. Overnutrition happens when the body receives and Varied Options Portions

too much nutrients because of excessive food

intake. Being overweight and obese are signs of
overnutrition.
4. Listed below are common micronutrient
deficiencies among children and adolescents.
Eating a nutritious and varied diet can help
address these deficiencies:
a. Vitamin A deficiency
b. Vitamin C deficiency
c. Iodine deficiency
d. Iron deficiency
e. Zinc deficiency

LET’S GET STARTED

Recall what you have already learned or know about malnutrition. Why is malnutrition a
problem that needs to be addressed?

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Grade 6 Lesson 1 - Nutrition Problems

LET’S READ & LEARN

Malnutrition is a condition where the body does not receive the proper amount of nutrients it
needs to maintain health. There are two types of malnutrition: undernutrition and overnutrition.

Undernutrition happens when the body does

not receive enough nutrients. There are three
conditions related to undernutrition.
One is being underweight. This is when a person’s
body weight is too low for their age. 
Another condition related to undernutrition is
stunting. This is when a person’s height is too
low for their age, and is a result of long-term
undernutrition. 
Another condition is wasting. This is when a
person is dangerously thin but not necessarily
short. This is caused by recent deprivation of food.

Severe undernutrition is called Protein-Energy

Malnutrition. There are two types of Protein
– Energy Malnutrition (PEM): Marasmus and
Kwashiorkor.
Marasmic children are described as “skin and
bones” because their bones can be seen under
their skin, while folds of skin develop because of
loss of muscles.
Children with kwashiorkor have thin arms and
distended abdomen. They tend to retain water
in their legs, feet, hands and face, giving them a
swollen look.

Being overweight and obese are signs of

overnutrition. Overnutrition increases the risk
for getting serious health problems like heart
diseases, stroke, diabetes and even cancer.

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Grade 6 Lesson 1 - Nutrition Problems

Height and weight measurements are important

tools for monitoring your health, growth and
development. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a
measure that tells whether a person is too thin or
too heavy for their height. BMI can be calculated
from height and weight.

BMI Categories 
Underweight less than 18.5 kg/m2
Normal weight 18.5–24.9 kg/m2
Overweight 25.0–29.9 kg/m2
Obese greater than 30.0 kg/m2

LET’S TRY THIS

Use the formula above to calculate your BMI and determine your BMI category.

Are you underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese? What does your BMI tell you about
your health and nutrition?

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Grade 6 Lesson 1 - Nutrition Problems

LET’S READ & LEARN

Even if you fall in the normal weight category according

to your BMI, you could still be malnourished if you are not
getting the proper nutrients in your diet. There are other
signs of malnutrition, such as:
• Frequent fatigue or dizziness
• Frequent infections
• Slow wound healing
• Digestion problems

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals found in food

which the body needs in small amounts to maintain health
and life. If you are not able to get the necessary amounts
of these micronutrients, it could lead to micronutrient
deficiency.
Micronutrient deficiency is a condition where the body
does not receive enough of certain vitamins and minerals,
and can have devastating effects on your health.

Iron is an important micronutrient.

Iron is found in the blood. It helps transport oxygen
throughout the body.
Low iron leads to low hemoglobin concentration in the
blood. Hemoglobin is the component in blood that carries
oxygen throughout the body for energy metabolism.

Lack of iron causes iron deficiency anemia, which affects

the body and brain functions that require oxygen-carrying
red blood cells. Symptoms include:
• Frequent fatigue and weakness
• Pale skin
• Poor concentration, focus and cognitive performance
• Impaired work performance
• Weak resistance to infections and diseases

Iron is so important, so we should make sure we get lots of

iron from these sources:
• Meat • Eggs
• Poultry • Fish
• Fortified milk and • Organ meats like liver
chocomalt milk drink • Green leafy vegetables
• Whole grain cereal • Beans

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Grade 6 Lesson 1 - Nutrition Problems

Zinc is another important micronutrient for growth and

physical development. Zinc helps heal wounds and injuries.
Like iron, zinc contributes to building strong resistance
against sickness or infections. Zinc is also needed for
normal functioning of taste buds.

The signs and symptoms of zinc deficiency are:

• Stunted growth
• Rough, unhealthy skin
• Poor wound healing
• Weak resistance against sicknesses

These are some sources of zinc:

• Fish and seafood
• Fortified milk
• Meat
• Poultry
• Beans and legumes

Vitamin C is another essential micronutrient. It strengthens

our immunity and resistance against sicknesses.
It has antioxidant properties that prevents or delays some
types of cell damage. It supports wound healing.

Some signs and symptoms of Vitamin C deficiency are:

• Weaker immune system and being prone to sickness
• Poor wound healing
• Weak bones and muscle structure

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Grade 6 Lesson 1 - Nutrition Problems

These are good sources of vitamin C.

• Yellow and orange fruits like pineapples, oranges and
dalandan
• Green vegetables like cabbage, malunggay and broccoli
• Fortified milk
• Chocomalt milk drink

Now let’s look at Vitamin A. This micronutrient is needed

for clear vision. It also helps keep skin smooth. Vitamin A
also contributes to the development of healthy bones and
teeth.

Lack of Vitamin A reduces vision in the dark. Skin also

changes, and becomes dry and rough.
Night blindness may lead to total blindness if not
treated.
Another sign and symptom of Vitamin A is weak resistance
to infectious diseases.

There are good sources of vitamin A.

• Yellow and orange vegetables and fruits like squash,
carrots and papaya
• Organ meats like liver
• Cheese
• Egg yolk

Last but not least, we need iodine.

The functions of iodine include helping the brain function
and supporting normal growth.
Because iodine is required for normal body functioning,
lack of this nutrient slows down mental and physical
development.

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Grade 6 Lesson 1 - Nutrition Problems

Goiter, manifested by a lump under one’s neck, is a sign of

low iodine. Other symptoms include:
• Bulging eyes
• Prone to weakness and sleepiness

Here are some significant sources of iodine.

• Iodized salt
• Seafood
• Seaweed
• Seasoning granules

THINK ABOUT THIS

Micronutrient Deficiency is also called “Hidden Hunger”
because its impact is not always visible. As mentioned
earlier, even if you fall in the normal weight category
according to your BMI, you could still be malnourished if
you are not getting the proper nutrients in your diet.
Based on what you’ve read about different micronutrients
and their significant sources, do you think you are
getting sufficient nutrition to support your growth and
development? Why do you think so?

There are two Healthy Habits that can help you prevent malnutrition and manage your weight.
Choose Nutritious and Varied Options. Choose a nutritious and varied diet to get all the
essential nutrients that can help you get energy, support growth and help maintain your
health.
Manage Portions. Eat the right kind of food in the right amounts to prevent poor
nutrition.

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Grade 6 Lesson 1 - Nutrition Problems

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED SO FAR?

Let’s see if you can fill in the table below without looking at the previous pages. For each
micronutrient, try to recall their functions in the body and list examples of foods that are good
sources of that micronutrient.
On the next page, recall the signs and symptoms of a person who is deficient in that nutrient. After
filling in as much of the information as you can remember, you may go back to pages 5 to 8 to look
for the other information that you were not able to recall on your own.

FUNCTION SOURCES

IRON

ZINC

VITAMIN C

VITAMIN A

IODINE

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Grade 6 Lesson 1 - Nutrition Problems

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY

IRON

ZINC

VITAMIN C

VITAMIN A

IODINE

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LESSON 2
DEVELOPING HEALTHY HABITS
CONTENT OVERVIEW

In this lesson, you will learn that:
1. Eating nutritious and varied food and
managing food portions help prevent
both undernutrition and overnutrition. The
Pinggang Pinoy® is a useful tool to help
students remember what a nutritious and
balanced meal looks like.
a. Go and Grow foods should make up
half of the plate, with more grains than
protein.
b. Glow food should make up half of the
plate, with more vegetables than fruits.
c. Water or nutritious beverages must be
present at each meal.
2. Physical activity helps control weight by
burning off excess food. It also builds
stronger bones and muscles and keeps
the heart and lungs healthy. Teens should
accumulate at least 60 minutes of physical
activity everyday.
3. Water is the best choice for quenching thirst.
It is needed to properly digest and absorb
nutrients. Individuals ages 10 years and older
should drink 8 glasses or more everyday.
4. Eating meals with the family builds closer
relationships and promotes good eating
habits.
OBJECTIVES
By the end of this module, you should be able
to:
1. Discuss the Healthy Habits and their
importance in preventing nutritional issues
and concerns.
2. Discuss how Healthy Habits help in the
prevention of nutritional issues and
concerns.

In this lesson, we will learn to:

Choose to
Choose Nutritious Manage Play Enjoy Meals
Drink Water
and Varied Options Portions Actively Together
and Milk

LET’S GET STARTED

What are some of the things that you do every day to stay healthy?

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Grade 6 Lesson 2 - Developing Healthy Habits

LET’S READ & LEARN

In this lesson, you will read about five Healthy Habits that we can practice to prevent
undernutrition and overnutrition.

The best way to prevent malnutrition is by having

a nutritious and varied diet. A nutritious diet
contains all the nutrients that our bodies need to
stay healthy and strong. It has the correct portions
of GO, GROW and GLOW food.

In the space below, write down some facts that you

already know about GO, GROW and GLOW food.

Go Grow Glow

Choosing nutritious food also means avoiding food

that has too much salt, sugar and fats.
Having a diet with too much sugar, salt, and fats
is related to obesity and diseases like high blood
pressure and diabetes.

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Grade 6 Lesson 2 - Developing Healthy Habits

Aside from eating the right kinds of food, we should eat

them in the correct portions. We can follow the Pinggang
Pinoy® guide to know how much Go, Grow and Glow food
to eat with each meal. Half of the plate should contain
fruits and vegetables (Glow food), with more vegetables
than fruits. The other half of the plate should contain rice/
grains (Go food) and protein sources (Grow food), with
more grains than protein.

Adapted from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute. Department of Science and Technology. (2016). Pinggang Pinoy® A Healthy
Plate for a Well Nourished Nation: Guide for Nutrition Professionals. Taguig City, Philippines. FNRI-DOST.

Pinggang Pinoy® reminds us that we should always take

each meal with a glass of water or a nutritious beverage
like milk.
Aside from drinking water with every meal, we should
be drinking water all throughout the day to prevent
dehydration.
Students aged 10-12 years old should drink 8 glasses
of water or more each day. Students 13 years and older
should drink 9 to 12 glasses of water or more each day.
It is important to keep our bodies well-hydrated. This means we should make sure that our body
has enough water. Dehydration is the condition when our body does not have enough water. There
are several signs of dehydration.
One sign of dehydration is headache. When you get a
headache it may be because you are dehydrated.
Another sign is difficulty focusing. When we are
dehydrated, we have a hard time paying attention or
focusing.
Dizziness is also a sign of dehydration.

When we lack water and fluids, we develop dry skin, lips

and mouth.
If you have a hard time moving your bowels, if you seldom
urinate during the day, or if your urine is dark in color, you
may not be drinking enough water.

Remember this: thirst is already the first sign that your body is starting
to get dehydrated! Do not wait until you are thirsty to drink water. You
should drink water all throughout the day even if you are not thirsty.

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Grade 6 Lesson 2 - Developing Healthy Habits

Another Healthy Habit that is important to develop is to

Play Actively.
Staying active helps in making sure that the body is fit and
healthy. It helps remove wastes in the body through sweat.
You need to have some physical activity, because when
you move you use your muscles. Using your muscles make
them stronger and helps you to do other physical activities.
For example, running makes your leg muscles strong. If you
run regularly, your leg muscles get stronger and you can
run for longer periods without getting tired easily.

Nowadays, many children like to stay at home, watch TV,

play video games or use their mobile phones for hours.
That is not healthy for the body. The body needs fresh air
and exercise.
Regular physical activity helps you become fit. When you
just sit and watch TV, you don’t use the energy from the
food that you eat.
This can make you gain weight and become unhealthy.

Physical activity doesn’t just include sports or games.

Aside from playing actively, there are many other physical
activities you can do to keep the body active. For example,
you can help with chores at home, like doing the laundry or
mopping floors. This will get your body moving.

Can you think of other examples of activities you

can do at home that keeps your body active?

You should get 60 minutes of physical activity everyday.

You don’t need to complete 60 minutes at once. You can
do shorter bouts of physical activity, as long as it adds up
to 60 minutes each day.

With a varied and balanced diet, drinking chocomalt milk

drink is helpful for active teens. Chocomalt milk drink
contains milk as the number 1 ingredient. It is high in
vitamins B2, B3, B6, B12, C and iron, to help release energy
from fats, protein and carbohydrates in the food we eat.

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Grade 6 Lesson 2 - Developing Healthy Habits

The examples of physical activities that you can with your

family is related to the last healthy habit… enjoying meals
together.
Studies have reported that teens who eat with their family
5 times a week are 45% less likely to drink alcohol and 66%
less likely to do drugs. Why do you think so?
Eating with family members creates a stronger bond with
them.

In order to enjoy family meals together, you should:

Encourage your family members to wait for each other
before starting the meal.
Put away your gadgets, your books, your phones. Turn off
the TV and enjoy conversing with each other.
Do not be in a hurry to finish your food. Stay at the table
until everyone has finished eating. Last but not least, help
each other clear the table and wash the dishes.

Can you think of other ways to ensure that meal

time is an enjoyable experience for the family?

In this lesson we learned about five Healthy Habits that are important to develop:
Choose Nutritious and Varied Options. Healthy children eat a nutritious, varied diet
because it contains all the essential nutrients needed to give energy, support growth and
maintain health.
Manage Portions. Malnutrition happens when nutrients are not enough or too much
of what the body needs. Eat the right kind of food in the right amounts to prevent
malnutrition. Our meals should always have Go, Grow and Glow food in the right portions.
Go and Grow food should make up 1/2 of our plate, with a little more Go food than Grow
food. Glow food should make up the other 1/2 of the plate.
Choose to Drink Water and Milk. Water helps us replace the lost fluids when we sweat.
Drinking water helps regulate the different processes of our body.
We should also drink nutritious beverages like fortified milk. Fortified milk has calcium
and Vitamin D for normal bones and teeth. It also has nutrients like iron, zinc and vitamin
C that may contribute to the normal function of the immune system.
Play Actively. To keep your body fit and healthy, you must have regular physical activity.
Physical activity helps you sweat, which removes wastes in the body. When you move,
you use your muscles, and using your muscles will make them stronger, helping you to do
other physical activities.
Enjoy Meals Together. Studies show that children who always eat meals with their
families are less likely to become overweight or obese because of higher intake of fruits,
vegetables, and milk.

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Grade 6 Lesson 2 - Developing Healthy Habits

NOW TRY THIS

Identify two goals related to each Healthy Habit that you will aim to achieve throughout this
upcoming week. Here are some examples of goals:
• Choose Nutritious and Varied Options - Try three different vegetables that I have not tried
before.
• Manage Portions - Lessen my rice and have more vegetables on my plate in every meal.
• Choose to Drink Water and Milk - Add four more glasses of water to the amount I usually
drink every day by drinking an extra glass after breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner.
• Play Actively - Add 30 more minutes to my active time by helping Nanay clean the house
every day.
• Enjoy Meals Together - Leave my cellphone in the room when eating meals with the family.

Have the other members of your family come up with their own
NOW TRY THIS goals for the week that are related to each of the Healthy Habits.
Discuss how you can help each other achieve your goals.

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