Ch 5 - Health-Compromising Behaviors

Obesity has been linked to:

• Cardiovascular Disease

• Kidney Disease

• Diabetes

• Some Cancers

• Other Chronic Conditions

Causes of Obesity

• Genetic Predisposition

• Early Diet

• Family History

• Low SES

• Little Exercise

• Consumption of Large Portions of High-Calorie Food/Drink

• Some Diets

Obesity Treatment

• Diets

• Surgical Procedures

• Drugs

• CBT

CBT for Obesity

• Monitoring Eating Behavior

• Modifying Environmental Stimuli that control eating

• Gaining control over eating Process

• Reinforcing new eating habits

• Can produce weight loss of 2 pounds a week for up to 20 weeks, maintained over a 2-year period

Alcoholism Related Deaths

• Cirrhosis

• Cancer

• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

• Accidents related to Drunk Driving

Alcoholism Factors

• Genetics

• Sociodemographic Factors (like low SES)

• Coping method for stress

• Peaks between ages 18-25

Residential Treatment for Alcoholism

1. Inpatient “Drying Out” Period

2. CBT + Relapse Prevention

Predictors of Successful Alcoholism Recovery

• Mild Drinking Problems

• Little Abuse of Other Drugs

• Supportive + Financially Secure Environment

Smoking

• 480,000 Deaths due to:

  • Heart Disease

  • Cancer

  • Lung Disorders

Theories of Smoking

• Nicotine’s Role as a Neuroregulator

Programs for Stopping Smoking

1. Nicotine Replacement

2. CBT

3. Interventions:

   1. Social Skills Training Programs

   2. Relaxation Therapies

4. Relapse Programs

Smoking- Highly Resistant to Change, Factors of Relapse:

• Addiction

• Lack of Effective Coping Techniques

  • Usually for dealing with social situations

• Weight Gain

Smoking Prevention Programs for Youth

• Social Influence Approach

  • How to resist peer pressure

  • Improve Coping Skills

  • Improving Self-Image

Addiction

State of physical or psychological dependency on substance, based on use over time

Alcoholism

Symptoms

• Stereotyped drinking

• Drinking to maintain blood alc at particular level

• Increased frequency and severity of withdrawal

• Drinking early in day + middle of the night

• Sense of loss of control over drinking

• Subjective craving for alcohol

Anorexia Nervosa

Condition produced by excessive dieting and exercise

• Yields body weight grossly below optimal level

• Most common among adolescent girls

Binge Eating Disorder

Involves freqent consumption of large amounts of food + feeling unable to stop eating

Bingeing

Pattern of disordered eating consisting of episodes of uncontrollable eating

Bulimia

Syndrome characterized by alternating cycles of binging and purging through vomiting and extreme dieting

Controlled Drinking

Training in discriminating blood alc level to control extent of drinking

• Includes coping skills for dealing with situations that are high risk for alc consumption

Detoxification

Process of withdrawing from alc, usually in a supervised, medically monitored setting

Physical Dependence

State where body has adjusted to use of a substance

• Incorporates it into the body’s normal functioning

Placebo Drinking

Consumption of nonalcoholic beverages in social situations in which others are drinking

Problem Drinking

Uncontrolled drinking that leads to problems on many levels

• Considered prealcoholic / lesser alcoholic syndrome

Secondhand Smoke

Unintentionally inhaled exposure to smoke, causes:

• Bronchitis

• Emphysema

• Lung Cancer

Self-Help Aids

Materials that can be used on own without aid of a therapist to assist in modifying personal habits

• Used to combat smoking + other health-related risk factors

Set Point Theory of Weight

Concept that each individual has an ideal biological weight that cannot be greatly modified

Smoking Prevention Programs

Programs designed to keep people from beginning smoking

Stress Eating

Eating in response to stress

• ~ ½ the population eats more in response to stress

Tolerance

Process where the body increasingly adapts to substance

• Requires larger doses to get same effects

• Frequent characteristic of substance abuse

Withdrawal

Unpleasant physical and psychological symptoms people experience when they stop using a substance they’ve become physically dependent on

• Symptoms include:

  • Anxiety

  • Craving

  • Hallucinations

  • Nausea

  • Headaches

  • Shaking

Yo-Yo Dieting

Process of chronically alternating between dieting and regular eating, leads to both gains and losses

• Can increase chances of obesity by altering underlying metabolism