Diet Failure

Question 1

What is the set point theory?

Answer 1

control systems determine how much fat we should have, negative feedback, hunger/satiety produced, dieting begins, metabolic rates changes, dieting is less effective: plateaus

Question 2

What is the biological support for the set point theory?

Answer 2

Adopted children’s weight is more similar to biological parents, MZs more similar in weight than DZs (reared apart): biological, inherited

Question 3

Who conducted study to provide support for the set point theory?

Answer 3

Keys: WW2, men ate half normal calories but diet plateaued when SP reached (hungry and didn’t want to lose energy by exercise), when ended wanted to boost fat back up

Question 4

What is the free will argument associated with the set point theory?

Answer 4

Kiernan 1998: motivation = mental set point, people who were more dissatisfied with their body shape were more successful dieters

Question 5

What is the boundary model?

Answer 5

Physiological boundary for weight, dieting makes cognitive boundary, disinhibition: cognitive boundary breached = eat up to physiological boundary = diet fail

Question 6

Who conducted an experiment to test the boundary model?

Answer 6

Herman and Mack 1975: 3 groups (no preload, 1 or 2 milkshakes before ice cream) restrained eaters ate less ice cream when no pre loaded, when preloaded ate a lot more: disinhibition

Question 7

What evaluative comments can be made about Herman and Mack’s research?

Answer 7

correlational, depression due to restraint may have caused over eating, individual differences may account for over eating?

Question 8

What IDA point can be made about the boundary model?

Answer 8

Nature vs. nurture, do we have a physiological boundary or do we develop one through nurturing

Question 9

What are the ironic processes of mental control?

Answer 9

Wegner 2000: original 1987 white bear experiment. Thought suppression has opposite effect, you think more about food suppression = diet fail

Question 10

Who conducted research into the ironic processes of mental control?

Answer 10

Soetens 2006: restrained eaters who tend to over eat (disinhibition) often suppress thoughts about food = think more about food afterwards

Question 11

What is the practical application of the ironic processes of mental control?

Answer 11

formation od diets which still allow eating, maybe in smaller portions