Lecture 5: Healthy Eating Wrap - up; Mental Health, Stress & Smartphones

What is the scope of practice dilemma?

- as a personal trainer, you cannot recommend a meal plan for a client that is something that must be done by a registered dietitian

- The main message is to know your scope of practice

How are Canadians doing when it comes to creating "plates"?

- Spent 24 hours looking at Canadian plates

- They concluded that fruits/ vegtables and whole-grain foods were not eaten enough

What are some barriers to healthy eating?

- Lower income, transportation

- food deserts

- Parents' unhealthy eating habits influence a child's relationship with food

- With older age, there are mobility changes; more socially isolated

- Climate Change is impacts food

What is the relationship between healthy eating and PA?

- There is an association that healthy eating is a byproduct of physical activity

Do what I eat in a day videos impact eating disorders?

- When people watch these types of videos, it can lead to weight preoccupation, binge eating or vomiting solely for the purpose of weight loss.

What is Mental Health?

State of well - being in which a person realizes their potential, can cope with daily stressors, is productive, and contributes to their community

What is Mental Illness?

Health problems that cause abnormal thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and interactions with others

= someone can have good or bad mental health; therefore, it is not a predictor

What is the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in Canada?

Over time, there are more and more people being diagnosed with Mental illness

Who had more selected mood and anxiety disorders?

Across ages, women have/ report more mental illness

Who had more substance use disorders?

across ages, men report more substance disorders

Why is there a gender difference in these disorders?

Men

Expected provider role → self-reliance

Externalizing emotional pattern → irritability, anger

Do not seek out social support or clinical support

Women

Expected caregiver role → stress

Internalizing emotional pattern → sadness, withdrawal

Seek out social support + clinical support

What is stress?

Stress is a normal response to situational pressure or demands and is a part of everyday life. But chronic stress can lead to mental health problems and other medical issues (e.g. anxiety and depression)

What are 4 signs & symptoms of stress?

- Cognitive

- Physical Symptoms

- Emotional

- Behavioural

What are some cognitive symptoms of stress?

memory problems, inability to concentrate, poor judgement, seeing only the negative, anxious or racing thoughts, constant worrying

What are some emotional symptoms of stress?

- moodiness

- Can't relax

- Low morale

What are some physical symptoms of stress?

- rapid heart rate

- increased BP

- fatigue

What are some behavioural symptoms of stress?

- nail biting

- caffeine intake

- social withdrawal

What are some causes of stress?

Common sources of stress include a person's physical environment (e.g., nosy streets or an unsafe living space), relationships, work, life situation, and major life changes

What are some risk factors of stress that can make the experience of stress worse?

- limited social support

- multiple stressors

- emotion regulation difficulties

- low distress tolerance

- interpret the stressor negatively -> Feeling powerless, overwhelmed and helpless

What is the relationship between exercise intensity and stress levels?

Higher intensity exercise more often = lower perceived stress

What are the effects of exercise on anxiety symptoms in people with anxiety and stress-related disorders?

works as a stand-alone treatment, or as an add-on; symptom severity does not alter the effect of exercise; less frequent, lower-intensity, and short - duration exercise may work

What is the definition of problematic smartphone usage?

➤ Not just about time

➤ Defined as maladaptive, compulsive, or addictive-like

smartphone use that interferes with daily life

What are some measures to focus on when it comes to smartphone usage?

➤ Preoccupation

➤ Failure to cut down even though you know the negative effects

➤ Withdrawal effects (anxiety, irritability)

➤ Functional impairment (school/work/sleep problems

What are a few things that problematic smartphone use can interfere with?

- impacts eating behaviours

- academic achievement

- sleep

What is the prevalence of problematic smartphone use?

between 37 - 67% duration of time spent on phone is a factor.... so it is not just about time but time is still relevant

What are a few options to help with problematic smartphone usage?

Digital detox

- reduce by minutes to days to weeks

• Improves problematic use symptoms, perceived stress, and perceptions of supportive relationships, physical activity, life satisfaction

Use apps to limit time

- less conclusive research on if these work yet because they're still new, but potentially promising