Psychological Explanations Of Obesity

Question 1

Briefly describe the restraint theory as an explanation for obesity.

Answer 1

• restricting food leads to a paradoxical outcome
• set boundaries and targets for how much they’re allowed to eat, attempting to override neural and hormonal controls for hunger + satiety
• consciously thinking about food, rules about food and weight and creates a set of forbidden foods
• less controlled by biological factors and ultimately break the cognitive restraint and don’t listen to their body leading to disinhibited eating.

Question 2

Briefly describe the boundary model as an explanation for obesity.

Answer 2

An individual who is restraining their eating sets a lower boundary for the amount they can eat. The model says that if an individual eats more than their self imposed limit, they go beyond their biological satiety boundary. An individual trying to restrain eating can then become obese. They break the self imposed limit and frustration leads to disinhibited thinking with the ‘what the hell’ effect.

Question 3

Explain the boundary model with zone of biological indifference and cognitive boundary.

Answer 3

Obese people have a larger biological boundary so feel hungry quicker and full later. The zone of biological indifference is when they’re neither hungry or full, highly influenced by social and environmental factors. The cognitive boundary is lower than the boundary of satiety to cut down their food intake but they still feel hungry so break the cog boundary and eat so much they break the bio boundary.

Question 4

Describe disinhibition as a psychological explanation for obesity.

Answer 4

Refers to loss of control over eating. Individuals are influenced by disinhibitors. There are emotional, situation and habitual disinhibitors. Obese people are more sensitive to internal and external cues to eat. Disinhibition brings about eating habits similar to a binge. The normal neural controls are overridden. This eating is often seen by those in poor relationships, anxious and those who rely on food for emotional support.

Question 5

Define emotional disinhibitors.

Answer 5

Internal cue. The tendency to overeat in response to stress or depression.

Question 6

Define situational disinhibition.

Answer 6

External cue. The tendency to overeat in settings such as a party or wedding buffet.

Question 7

Define habitual disinhibition.

Answer 7

External cue. The tendency to overeat in response to fair life. This is most linked to obesity because of fast food opportunities in western environments.

Question 8

Evaluate psychological explanations of obesity.

Answer 8

S - restraint theory - 27 obese women put in 3 groups for 7 weeks - diet, exercise and no intervention group. Food intake measured at week 4 and 6. Women in diet group ate more than women in other conditions. Disinhibited eating - 200 adults completed eating/relationships questionnaire. Anxious attachment style positive correlates w disinhibited eating and high BMI(Only correlation)
C - 163 women tracked on restrained eating and disinhibition over 6 years along w changes in weight. Increases in restrained eating led to decrease body weight. Challenges validity. Anorexic people? Too simplistic - 2 forms of restraint, rigid and flexible - rigid leads to obesity.
I - ethnocentrism and gender bias. Restraint and disinhibited eating lower in African American students than white students and lower in men than women.
P - planning effective diets.