Health Psych Exam #3

what are the current categories used to classify one’s BMI?

underweight below 18.5, healthy weight 18.5-24.9, overweight 25-29.9, obese 30 and above

what are the limitations of BMI?

doesn’t account for muscle mass, fat distribution or other important health factors

what are the factors that contribute to and influence weight?

biological, psychological, lifestyle/environmental factors

how do genetics contribute to and influence weight?

People with two parents in the obese BMI range have an 80% chance of also having an obese BMI, Heritability influences food preferences and basal metabolic rate

How does set point theory help us understand why it is so difficult to lose weight?

the body strives to maintain a certain weight, calorie deprivation slows metabolism, making weight loss difficult

how do psychological factors contribute to and influence weight?

internal-external hypothesis, emotional eating

internal-external hypothesis

Weight gain occurs when people rely more on external cues (e.g., sight/smell of food) rather than internal cues (e.g., hunger/fullness)

emotional eating

Eating is used to regulate emotions, especially when negative feelings are suppressed

how do lifestyle environmental factors contribute to and influence weight?

Increased food intake, larger portion sizes, access to cheap high-calorie food, and socioeconomic status affecting access to healthy food and time for exercise

Is long-term (over 1 year) weight loss through diet and exercise feasible? Why or why not? – you should be familiar with some of the evidence regarding this question

Long-term weight loss is rare: less than 5% kept off 5% of their BMI over 3 years, most dieters regain weight within a year, and dieting doesn’t lead to lasting weight control

What kinds of negative consequences may occur as a result of sustained dieting/calorie restriction?

Dieting increases death risk (low-carb diets linked to 51% more heart disease deaths), leads to future weight gain, top risk factor for eating disorders

What is the philosophy of the Health at Every Size Movement?

Focuses on health and habits, not about weight, respect body differences, fight weight bias, eat intuitively, and encourage enjoyable physical activity

What are GLP agonist medications and how do they work to cause weight loss? You should be familiar with their possible risks and benefits

GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic and Wegovy mimic a gut hormone to promote fullness and slow stomach emptying, helping people with a BMI of 30+ or 27+ with health issues lose 15–20% of body weight; benefits include better blood sugar and heart health, with side effects like tiredness, stomach issues, and headaches

How are physical activity and exercise different from one another? What is sedentary behavior?

Physical activity is any body movement that uses energy (like walking or cleaning)

Exercise is a planned and structured form of physical activity (like running or gym workouts)

Sedentary behavior is sitting or being inactive for long periods (not just the lack of exercise)

 

How does physical activity protect us from heart disease?

Strengthens the heart and improves oxygen flow, reduces inflammation in blood vessels, Lowers cholesterol and triglycerides

How does physical activity protect us from Alzheimer’s disease?

Boosts BDNF (a brain growth protein), Increases neuron growth in the hippocampus (memory area of the brain), based on animal studies

How much weekly physical activity is recommended for adults, according to the CDC?

150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week OR, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, Plus, muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days per week

What are common individual-level factors that determine our physical activity level?

Past exercise habits, confidence (self-efficacy), planning and goal-setting skills, mental health and life priorities, enjoyment of being active

What are common social factors that determine our physical activity level?

Support from family or friends, Cultural and social norms, Role models

What are common built environment factors that determine our physical activity level?

Neighborhood safety and sidewalk, parks, bike lanes, and trails, weather and access to spaces for exercise

What are the four categories of interventions that are commonly used to promote physical activity?  You should be familiar enough with these categories to give or recognize examples of each

social, informational, behavioral, environment/policy interventions

social interventions (PA)

Use social support, teams, or competition to motivate (e.g., group fitness challenges)

Informational Interventions

Share health facts, guidelines, and benefits of exercise (e.g., posters, health brochures)

Behavioral Interventions (PA)

uses behavior change techniques (like self-monitoring, goal setting, and habit-building) to help people self-regulate to stick with exercise or PA

Environment/Policy Interventions (PA)

Change physical spaces or policies to support activity (e.g., build more parks or bike lanes)

What demographic factors are associated with smoking?

Slightly higher rates among men than women, lower rates among Hispanic individuals, higher rates of cigarette use are correlated with lower education, lower income, disability, poorer mental health

How have the rates of smoking changed in the past 3 decades?

Daily cigarette use among high school students has dropped over the past few decades

What is the biggest contributor to the change of smoking rates?

Public policies like smoke-free laws, cigarette taxes, health warnings and anti-smoking campaigns

What are the common health effects of smoking?

Leading cause of preventable death in US, cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, mouth diseases, emphysema, bronchitis, respiratory infections

How do the health effects of vaping compare to the effects of smoking?

Vaping benefits: Some studies say vaping helps people quit smoking more than nicotine patches, Vaping risks: Some users end up using both cigarettes and vapes, Still includes health risks, though not yet fully understood

Factors that contribute to smoking behavior

observational learning, genetics, personality influences, reinforcement models

observational learning (smoking)

Direct modeling: friends who smoke are a stronger influence than parents, but parents' behavior and attitudes still matter; kids with anti-smoking parents are 7 times less likely to smoke

genetics (smoking)

teens with a “high-risk” genetic profile are not more likely to try cigarettes, but if they do, they are more likely to become regular smokers and are more likely to fail at quitting

personality influences for smokers

higher in novelty seeking and rebelliousness, lower in self-control, neuroticism, the tendency to experience negative emotion

reinforcement models (smoking)

Operant conditioning keeps people smoking by reinforcing habits, cigarettes enhance positive feelings and relieve negative ones

What are some effective strategies for preventing smoking?

General prevention: education & early intervention programs, Public Policy: raising cigarette taxes, banning advertising, creating smoke-free spaces

What are some treatment strategies for quitting smoking?

Nicotine replacement therapy provides nicotine in a safer form (gum, patch, lozenges) Medications, Support groups, Behavioral counseling

What is the most effective approach to quitting smoking?

Combinations of medications and behavioral support

When adolescents try to quit vaping, what strategy do they most often use?

Most teens try to quit by “cold turkey” (on their own, without help)

What are the intoxication effects of alcohol on the brain?

Acts as a depressant on brain function, mimics the effects of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, inhibits nerve cell communications

What are the direct and indirect health effects of alcohol use?

physiological damage, health problems, risky behaviors

health effects of alcohol use

cirrhosis of the liver (scarring of liver tissues caused by metabolizing alcohol), Korsakoff Syndrome (thiamine deficiency), Cancer risk (even at more moderate levels of drinking)

How is alcohol use disorder defined according to the DSM-5?

 11 possible symptoms: 2-3 (mild use disorder), 4-5 (moderate use disorder), 6+ (severe use)

AUD diagnostic process and the themes that the symptoms focus on

Alcohol Use Disorder is diagnosed with 2+ symptoms in 12 months, focusing on loss of control, social problems, risky use, and dependence, based on harmful patterns, not amount drank

What factors help explain why people develop alcohol use problems?

Tension reduction theory, outcome expectancies, social norms, genetic factors

Tension reduction theory

suggests that individuals use substances, like alcohol, to reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, or tension

outcome expectancies factor

positive expectations for drinking leads to greater use

social norms (alcohol)

believing that most people drink, or drink in greater quantities, leads to greater use

genetic factors for alcohol use disorder (AUD)

About 40–60% of AUD risk is heritable; children of people with AUD are 4x more likely to develop it, adopted children tend to be more similar to their biological parents in alcohol use

genes influence on alcohol

Genes influence how quickly we metabolize alcohol, whether alcohol is stimulating vs. sedating, negative reactions to alcohol (nausea, flushing), general risk for addictive behaviors

What are the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal?

Anxiety, tremors, insomnia, nausea

Alcoholics Anonymous

A 12-step, peer support program focused on recovery and abstinence

Naltrexone

Reduces craving and pleasure from drinking

Antabuse

causes sickness when alcohol is consumed (discourages use)

CBT

Build skills to resist cravings, challenge unhealthy thoughts, effective problem solving, and make lifestyle changes that support recovery and confidence

How do opioids act on the brain?

We naturally have endorphins (natural opioids); opioid drugs mimic them by blocking pain, slowing breathing, and triggering dopamine release for pleasure

What are the symptoms of opioid withdrawal?

72 hours: physical symptoms peak (chills, fever, body aches, insomnia, muscle pain, nausea), 1st week: symptoms lessen (tiredness, sweating, irritability), 2nd week: psychological symptoms begin (depression, anxiety, trouble sleeping), 1 month: cravings and depression may linger for weeks or months

You should be familiar with the three factors that contributed to the opioid epidemic that were discussed in class

1: Marketing by pharmaceuticals (high rates of opioid prescribing) 2: availability and affordability of heroin 3: introduction of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl

What treatment strategies are available for opioid use?  Which strategies are most effective, and how do they work?

Inpatient detoxification, Longer-term residential programs (often costly and inaccessible), Individual and group counseling, Self-help (Narcotics anonymous groups), Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) (Most effective approach! Methadone & Suboxone)

What are harm reduction strategies for opioid use?

Access to naloxone and fentanyl test strips, syringe programs, supervised consumption sites, low-barrier services like housing

What are the elements of “a good death” that people commonly report as being important to them?

A death scene that meets one’s wishes, preparation for death, free of suffering and pain, emotionally at peace

What are the questions that Atul Gawande recommends to medical professionals when working with patients at the end of their life?

What is your understanding of your condition, what are your goals if your health worsens, what are your fears, what are the tradeoffs you are and are not willing to make

Why are the questions that Atul Gawande recommends helpful?

These questions help guide care that aligns with the patient's values and priorities, rather than just medical procedures

What are the key elements/characteristics of palliative care?

enhances quality of life, may positively influence disease course, relieves pain and symptoms, provides psychological and spiritual care, supports family, and helps patients make care decisions

How does palliative care differ from hospice care?

A type of palliative care for people near the end of life, focuses on comfort not cure

You should be familiar with stage models of grief, such as Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’ 5-stage model.

Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance

How is the Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’ 5-stage model (coping w loss) limited?

not well supported by research, not very useful clinically, doesn’t explain individual differences in grief, and may cause harm by suggesting grief must follow a specific path

You should be familiar with the dual process model of grief including understanding the two forms of coping it involves.

Grief is characterized by adaptive oscillating between two forms of coping: Loss-oriented coping, Restoration-oriented coping

Loss oriented coping

Trying to make sense of the loss, thinking about events leading up to it, ruminating on the loss, yearning for and missing the deceased, reflecting on their life, confronting feelings and reactions

Restoration-oriented coping

Finding a new normal, handling secondary stressors

What are common reactions to grief among children of different ages?

2-4 years: Little understanding of permanence of death.

5-8 years: Magical thinking, self-blame

9-10 years: Understand death as permanent, universal