Behaviour Flashcards
What is eating a consequence of?
physiological processes that monitor nutrient status (psychobiological view of appetite)
what is the problem with the psychobiological view of appetite model?
cannot explain overeating and rise in obesity
many eating disorders
what is the externality theory
the extent of internal and external signals motivating a person to eat are responsible for susceptibility to weight gain
- obese people are more likely to be responsive to external signals rather than internal (physiological) appetite signals
what is the restraint theory
people use cognitive processes to restict the intake as a consequence of weight concerns
leads to overeating when dietary restraint breaks down
the three factor eating questionnaire measure restrained eating
emotional eating
occurs in response to negative emotions in an attempt to alleviate or distract from feelings
how to measure food-related attention (2 ways)
food dot probe task - pne food related and one control related pictures are displayed for a fixed time
neutral dot probe is shown in either location immediately after the visual cues
measure is reaction time to probe
attentional bias for food cues - faster reaction time when probe and food cue are in same location but slower RT when locations are different as they were looking at the food
food stroop task - words in different colours
attentional bias for food cues = slower to name the colour of the food-related words due to emotional response compared with neutral stimuli
how does attention play a part in obesity
- preferential allocation of attention to food cues even when not hungry
- heightened emotional response to food cues
- stronger approach tendencies
- overeating and obesity
in whom can attentional bias to food be seen
obese adults
obese children
what is meta-analysis
combines all the studies from a specific topic or question
meta-analysis of food attentional biases
over 30 studies combined - confirms there is no greater attention to food in obesity
what are food related biases associated with
hunger state
food intake
food craving
certain eating disorders
as attentional capacity is limited, what are some possible implications for appetite control
- inattention while eating could promote overconsumption
- inattention between meals may lead to poor awareness of interoceptive (bodily cues) relating to appetite
explain how inattention affects appetite
eating whilst distracted leads to greater intake and poorer memory of what has been consumed
obese children spend more time in sedentary behaviours and high tv viewing associated with higher intake
time watching tv associated with average obesity risk in children
snack intake test
conclusion - people have to be able to attend to nutritional cues to allow them to affect appetite
how to reduce eating by modifying attention
attending to food during meals should lead to better intake control
training awareness of appetite sensations should lead to better intake control
