Ch. 5 Vocab: Health-Compromising Behaviors

alcohol use disorder

A problematic pattern of alcohol use causing substantial impairment or distress

tolerance

The process by which the body increasingly adapts to a substance, requiring larger and larger doses of it to obtain the same effects; a frequent characteristic of substance abuse, including alcohol and drug abuse.

withdrawal

Unpleasant physical and psychological symptoms that people experience when they stop using a substance on which they have become physically dependent; symptoms include anxiety, craving, hallucinations, nausea, headaches, and shaking.

detoxification

The process of withdrawing from alcohol, usually conducted in a supervised, medically monitored setting.

controlled drinking

Training in discriminating blood alcohol level so as to control the extent of drinking; may also include coping skills for dealing with situations that are high risk for high alcohol consumption; see also placebo drinking.

placebo drinking

The consumption of nonalcoholic beverages in social situations in which others are drinking alcohol.

anorexia nervosa

A condition produced by excessive dieting and exercise that yields body weight grossly below optimal level, most common among adolescent girls.

binge eating disorder

A serious eating disorder involving frequently consuming large amounts of food and feeling unable to stop eating.

bingeing

A pattern of disordered eating that consists of episodes of uncontrollable eating. During such binges, a person rapidly consumes an excessive amount of food.

bulimia nervosa

An eating syndrome characterized by alternating cycles of binge eating and purging through such techniques as vomiting and extreme dieting.

multi-morbidity

Having two or more long-lasting health conditions.

obesity

An excessive accumulation of body fat, believed to contribute to a variety of health disorders, including cardiovascular disease.

opioids

Substances derived from poppy seeds which are used to reduce pain and are highly addictive.

• heroin, oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl (30x more potent than heroin or morphine)

passive smoking (or secondhand smoking)

Smoke that is unintentionally inhaled by nonsmokers as a result of exposure to smokers; can cause health problems such as bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer.

self-help aids

Materials that can be used by an individual on his or her own without the aid of a therapist to assist in the modification of a personal habit; often used to combat smoking and other health-related risk factors.

• nicotine patches, more intensive programs

set point theory of weight

The concept that each individual has an ideal biological weight that cannot be greatly modified.

smoking prevention programs

Programs designed to keep people from beginning to smoke, as opposed to programs that attempt to induce people to stop once they have already become smokers.

vaping

Inhaling and exhaling vapor from a device containing a substance (e.g., marijuana, tobacco) and flavoring.

weight stigma

Discriminatory attitudes and acts toward people because of their weight and size.

yo-yo dieting

The process of chronically alternating between dieting and regular eating, leading to successive weight gains and losses; over time increase persons chances of becoming obese by altering their underlying metabolism.