Week Three - Eating & Exercise

Question 1

Diet has what effects on our health?

Answer 1

Both direct and indirect effects

Question 2

Diet impacts and plays a role in both illness what?

Answer 2

onset and treatment

Question 3

What are eating disorders associated with?

Answer 3

physical problems such as heart irregularities, heart attacks, stunted growth etc

Question 4

Statistic on number of people who do not get enough to eat?

Answer 4

821 (1 in 9) million people

Question 5

The poor diets of children in developing countries results in?

Answer 5

physical and cognitive problems, and poor resistance to illness

Question 6

Do Australians meet the minimum serves of the 5 food groups?

Answer 6

less than 4% meet (vegetables)

only 1 in 10 meet dairy

1 in 7 meet meats

Question 7

How many people are overweight/obese in Aus?

Answer 7

2 in 3 (63.4%)

Question 8

What are the 3 key models of eating behaviour

Answer 8

cognition models
the developmental model
the weight concern model

Question 9

Explain the cognitive model of eating behaviour

Answer 9

Focuses on an individual’s cognitions and has explored the extent to which cognitions explain and predict behaviour

Question 10

What specific cognitions have been used to predict intentions to consume food?

Answer 10

Behavioural intentions: not good predictor

past behaviour and habit: important predictor

perceived behavioural control: good predictor

Question 11

What is the role of distraction in the CM of eating?

Answer 11

When we are distracted we are disconnecting our brains from the signals that mediate satiety

Question 12

What is the role of memory in the CM of eating?

Answer 12

Reminding of meals we just ate makes the memories more vivid and suppresses food intake

Question 13

Explain the developmental model of eating

Answer 13

Highlights the importance of learning and experience and focuses on the development of food preferences in childhood.

Question 14

The development of food preferences can be understood in terms of what 3 factors?

Answer 14

exposure
social learning
associative learning

Question 15

The fear and avoidance of novel food is called?

Answer 15

neophobia

Question 16

Explain exposure in relation to eating

Answer 16

Mere exposure to novel food can change children’s preferences (they experience neophobia early in life and come to accept)

Question 17

Explain social learning in relation to eating

Answer 17

There is a positive association. between parents and children’s diets

Question 18

Explain associative learning in relation to eating

Answer 18

the impact of contingent factors on behaviour i.e., foods paired with specific times, people etc can change what and when people eat

food acceptance increases if the food is presented with a reward

Question 19

Explain the Weight Concern model of eating

Answer 19

Food can change the bodys weight and shape which is also associated with self-perception and attractiveness/success

many people show weight concern in the form of body dissatisfaction

Question 20

Explain the influence of the media on body dissatisfaction

Answer 20

BD is often a response to representations of thin women in the media.

The social pressure influences eating behaviour (dieting)

Question 21

What are the physical benefits of exercise?

Answer 21

increases longevity, 31% reduction in mortality, increases life expectancy regardless of weight

Question 22

What are the benefits of exercise on physiology?

Answer 22

exercise enhances the function o the circulatory system, respiratory system and skeletal function

can prevent many physical illnesses particularly chronic illness

Question 23

How are the bodies defence systems affected by exercise? What is the J shaped curve?

Answer 23

immune responses undergo acute and chronic changes during exercise and it improves the immune response.

It has a J shaped curve in regard to infection risk (higher in overtraining)
- S, ME, IE

Question 24

Explain the influence of exercise on subjective health status (individual perception of health)

Answer 24

People who engage in PA rated their health status higher than those who didn’t suggesting that exercise influences self-perceptions of health status

Question 25

Define the 2 types of plasticity

Answer 25

Functional: The brains ability to move functions from a damaged area of the brain to other undamaged areas

Structural: The brains ability to actually change its physical structure as a result of experience and learning

Question 26

What are neurotrophic factors and what do they do?

Answer 26

A group o proteins that are able to stimulate the growth of specific tissues and regulate various cellular processes

Question 27

What does aerobic exercise do?

Answer 27

Increases the production of neurotrophic factors which can mediate improvements in cognitive function and memory by promoting blood vessel formation in the brain, neurogenesis etc

Question 28

Explain the link between exercise and gray matter volume

Answer 28

Regular aerobic exercise increases gray matter volume in nearly all areas of the brain including: hippo, cerebellum, prefrontal and anterior cortex

Question 29

What are the improvements in psychological wellbeing resulting from exercise?

Answer 29

May help people experiencing depression, responses to stress, ADHD, addiction and neurological disorders

Question 30

HOW does exercise benefit psychological wellbeing?

Answer 30

Through biological mechanisms including:

Exercise-induced release of the body’s natural opiates into the bloodstream which produces a high and acts as a pain killer and reducing the stress hormone; cortisol

Stimulation of the release of catecholamines (e.g., noradrenaline & adrenaline) which counter any stress response and enhance mood

Muscle relaxation which can reduce feelings of tension.

Question 31

Explain the role of Cortisol

Answer 31

The stress hormone binds to glucocorticoid receptors. Stress induces the release of cortisol from the adrenal gland by activating the HPA Axis - an adaptive response (fight or flight)

Question 32

What happens when we experience prolonged exposure to high stress levels?

Answer 32

Impairments in cognitive function and neurotoxic effects in the human brain (e.g., depression)

Question 33

Key concept to remember about cortisol and exercise

Answer 33

Exercise does not result in long term increases in cortisol production as it is exercise-induced effect only and is a response to energy imbalances

Question 34

What is the relationship between exercise and ADHD?

Answer 34

Regular PA has significant enhancements on cognitive performance and brain function; improved inhibitory control and attentional resources, reading processing speed etc

Question 35

Explain the relationship between exercise and addiction

Answer 35

Exercise may be effective in preventing some forms of addiction and managing craving

Question 36

The self-efficacy theory proposes an individual will be more likely to engage in exercise if: (4)

Answer 36

Perception of individual mastery is increased (lower task difficulty and build up)

There is modelling

Verbal persuasion from peers

There is optimal arousal

Question 37

What is Decisional Balance?

Answer 37

A cognitive assessment of the relative merits of the pros and cons of the exercise behaviour.

Question 38

What is Mindless Eating?

Answer 38

Refers to the notion of how environmental or otherwise unconscious cues influence what and how much we eat