Contemporary Issues In Psychology

Question 1

Overweight BMI

Answer 1

> 25kg/m2

How we BMI is a controversial measure, as those with high muscle weight can have a high BMI

Question 2

What percentage of males and females are overweight?

Answer 2

Males-69%

Females-60%

Question 3

According to McPherson et al (2007) by what year will half of UK adults be obese?

Answer 3

2050

Question 4

According to WHO (2014) globally, how many of us are obese?

Answer 4

600 million adults

Question 5

According to UN (2013) which country has the highest level of obesity in Northern Europe?

Answer 5

UK

Question 6

What was the traditional view of being overweight?

Answer 6

It was desirable, showing that you could afford food.

But now it’s seen as unhealthy and unattractive.

Question 7

What did Hippocrates (460-377 BC) say about weight?

Answer 7

It’s harmful to health to eat more food than needed, and exercise should be used to work off the excess.

This shows that issues with obesity were identified many years ago.

Question 8

What’s the economic implication of obesity?

Answer 8

Annual estimated cost to NHS is £5 billion.

Question 9

What are the health implications of obesity? (Cheah & Kam, 2005)

Answer 9

Hypertension 
Type 2 diabetes 
Dyslexic emit
Atherosclerosis 
Various cancers
Increase risk of death by 30% with BMI>30kg/m2

Question 10

What are the Obesogenic environment explanation of obesity causes?

Answer 10

Development of conditions.
Urbanisation .
Mechanisation.
Cheap, high energy foods. (E.g. Economic pressure as poor can’t afford more)

Question 11

How does urbanisation explain the rise of obesity?

Answer 11

More sedimentary lifestyle
Everything in the city, no need to travel much
Transport, no need to walk

Question 12

How does mechanisation explain the rise in obesity?

Answer 12

More sedimentary lifestyle

Technology does things for us (e.g. Ubereats, taxis, email, delivery)

Question 13

According to the NHS (2013) what percentage of adults participate in sports at least once a week for 30 minutes at moderate intensity?

Answer 13

36%

Question 14

What did Jebb (2005) say about eating and exercise?

Answer 14

The majority is less active than they should be to be healthy and consume more food than needed.

Question 15

According to Millward (2013), what percentage does genes play in obesity?

Answer 15

Obesity genes can only explain 6-7% of the variance

Question 16

If the parents are obese, what is the increased risk of childhood obesity?

Answer 16

10%

Question 17

What did Ostrey et al (2006) and Lorenzo et ask (2003) say about obesity and shift work

Answer 17

Overweight/ obesity more prevalent in shift workers (e.g. Nights)

Question 18

Why is there increased shift work?

Answer 18

We now demand 24 hour service

Question 19

How can shift work explain obesity?

Answer 19

Affects the diurnal rhythm (biological rhythm linked to day and night), and partial sleep deprivation (PSD) has shown increased calorie intake.

Question 20

How did Khatib et al (2017) explain weight gain with PSD?

Answer 20

High sugar/fat food more rewarding with PSD, we crave unhealthy foods when sleep deprived.

Question 21

At what BMI did Wadden et al (2002) suggest clinicians advice a reduction in fat/sugar intake and an increase in exercise?

Answer 21

BMI>27kg/m2

Question 22

What treatment did Haslam (2016) say was included for higher BMIs?

Answer 22

Drug treatment (e.g. On the hypothalamus)

Question 23

What psychological interventions are there for obesity?

E.g. Shaw et al, 2005

Answer 23

Behavioural (e.g. Self-monitoring, coping skills etc.

Cognitive (e.g. Challenge thoughts)

Question 24

What do behavioural interventions for obesity include?

Answer 24

Enhance dietary restraint by providing strategies to avoid maladaptive behaviours and encouraging physical activities
Give coping skills to overcome dietary lapses/cravings
Goal setting/ self-monitoring

Question 25

What do behavioural interventions for obesity include?

Answer 25

Overeating linked to how we think of ourselves and the world
Challenges aversive thoughts

Question 26

What is self-monitoring (in terms of weight loss)?

Answer 26

Examining food intake and daily weight measurement in overweight dieters
(E.g. Write what you’ve eaten to not forget)

Question 27

What evidence did Boutelle et al (1999) provide to support self-monitoring in weight loss?

Answer 27

Self-monitoring group lost weight.

Question 28

How did Foreyt and Goodrick (1993); wing (2002) show that continuous monitoring is important?

Answer 28

When intervention programme ends, people regain as much as one third of their weight

Question 29

What predictors did McGuire et al (1999) show could effect the maintenance of weigh loss?

Answer 29

Higher maximum weight
Greater history of weight cycling
Greater intimate loss of weight
Short durations of weight loss
Higher levels of disinhibition (less self-control)
Higher levels of depressive symptoms
‘Regainers’ showed a marked decrease in physical activity

Question 30

Real life environmental interventions of obesity include:

Answer 30

Following the coalition, free healthy school dinner have been provided for key stage 1
After 2012 olympics, more focus on physical activity (e.g. Change 4 life programme)

Question 31

What are Wadden et al (2002) proposed environmental interventions?

Answer 31

Regulating advertising of unhealthy foods to children
Prohibiting unhealthy foods at school
Subsiding sale of healthy food
Taxing unhealthy food
Providing resources for physical activity

Question 32

What did Chrisler and Barney (2016) say about weight discrimination/ fat shaming?

Answer 32

Attempts to motivate behaviour change by ‘shaming’ is stressful and can cause harm

Question 33

What did Vadiveloo and Mattei (2017) say about perceived weight discrimination?

Answer 33

It doubles 10-year risk of high allostatic load (effects chronic stress).
- short-term stress is good but chronic stress causes more cardiovascular problems

Question 34

What 3 distinct types of stigma did Lewis et al (2011) show with interviews on obese Austrian adults?

Answer 34

1) direct (e.g. Abuse in public)
2) environmental (e.g. Size of seats)
3) indirect (e.g. Staring into contents of trolley)

Question 35

What did Flint et al (2016) show about weight based discrimination?

Answer 35

Showed evidence of weight-based discrimination in hiring decisions (in-built prejudice)

Question 36

What did Munro (2017) discuss in relation to weight?

Answer 36

Microagressions - all the little things we do that promote discrimination

Question 37

How did Sue (2010) describe microaggressions?

Answer 37

“Commonplace verbal, behavioural, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative insults to a target person or group”

Question 38

Examples of microaggressions

Answer 38

You look good, have you lost weight?
You’re not fat, you’re beautiful
I’m having a fat day
I’m on a mad diet for my wedding

Question 39

How did Cramer and Steinwert (1998) show that negative attitudes to obesity were shown by preschool children (3-5yrs), showing that fat prejudice starts early?

Answer 39

Children were given scenario where one child (Susan) is mean to another about their sandcastle
Children are them given 2 images of children, one thin, one chubby and asked which one is ‘Susan’
Susan was linked to the higher BMI child
In experiment 1- 65-100%

Question 40

Who claimed that fat hate is socially sanctioned?

Answer 40

Munro (2017)

Question 41

What did klesger et al (1992) claim about children’s self esteem and weight?

Answer 41

In children, perceived body size is related to self-esteem

Question 42

According to Eisenberg et al (2003) how many times more likely is Suicide ideation/attempts when adolescents are bullied about their weight?

Answer 42

2-3 times