Ch 14.5 & 14.6- Obstacles to Weight Loss + Promoting Healthy Behaviours

Genetic Influences

50-90% of variation attributable to genetics - strong biological component (doesn’t mean 90% of our weight is due to genetics), our body fights against certain weights

Set point: a hypothesized mechanism that serves to maintain body weight around a physiologically programmed range - further from genetic set point > body trying to bring us back by slowing metabolism

Challenges for Weight Loss

obese people find food cues more rewarding - brain likes food (fMRI shows obese people have more activity in gustatory cortex when thinking of yummy food)

dieting reinforces cravings - restricting yourself from yummy food makes u having it again even better

stress and eating - resorting to comfort foods to make you feel better (burst of dopamine)

Mindful Eating

Much of our eating is mindless and automatic

By focusing on the moment to moment experience of eating we gain more conscious control over our behaviour - tend to the feel and taste of the food, don’t get distracted

Promoting Healthy Behaviours

Positive emotion promotes weight loss maintenance - write positive affirmations of themselves can help being successful of losing weight and keeping it off

Using social contagion for positive change- seeing people in our social environments exercise more and have a better diet makes us want to follow a similar lifestyle

Sugar Tax

Early evidence that sugar tax disincentives consumption - applying taxes to sugar = unhealthy behaviours and reduction of eating it