AP Psychology Emotion, Motivation & Stress Module 38

Why might the term set point be too limiting in explaining weight gain & loss? How might a person attempt to increase his or her basal metabolic rate?

-A biologically fixed set point does not address that slow, sustained body changes in body weight can alter a person's set point -We have access to a wide variety of foods that make us overeat & gain weight -Set point doesn't explain why psychological factors influence hunger

What role do genetics play in obesity?

-Adoptive children's weights reflect biological parents -Identical twins have similar weights in different settings -More likely to be obese if your family is

Discuss the cultural influence on eating behaviors

-Cultures crave different portions, tastes, & styles, but everyone like carbs (calm) & sweet & salty -Food preferences are reinforced by norms for what we eat & when(guidelines & cuisine) prescribed by our situation & culture -Some taste preferences, such as the avoidance of new foods or of foods that have made us ill, have survival value

Explain how geography & the environment in which a culture lives can impact food choice & taste

-In places where agriculture has produced milk, survival patterns have favored people w/lactose -In hot climates(where food spoils more quickly), recipes often includes spices that inhibit the growth of bacteria

What role do environmental factors play in obesity?

-Lack of sleep can lead to obesity. Leptin, which reports body weight to the brain & increases metabolism & decreases hunger, falls & ghrelin(hunger arousing hormone), rises -More likely to be obese if your friend is -We are eating more & moving less

List one social & one physiological/health consequence of being overweight or obese

-Lower psychological well being -Increased risk for depression, diabetes & heart disease -High bp

What role do set (or setting) point & metabolism play in obesity?

-Once we become fat, we require less food to maintain our weight than we did to attain it, as fat has a lower metabolic weight -When an overweight person's body drops below its previous set, the persons hunger increases & metabolism decreases. Body adapts to starvation by burning off fewer calories

Explain the impact of set point on hunger & energy output

-Point at which an individual's "weight thermostat" is supposedly set. When the body falls below their normal weight, this system signals the body to restore the lost weight. You're hunger increases & energy output decreases -If body weight rises, hunger decreases & energy expenditure increases

How do group size, portion size, & food variety impact eating behavior & weight?

-Presence of others amplify our natural behavior tendencies & we eat more -Larger portion sizes influence larger weight -A variety of food causes you to eat more which provides a wide range of vitamins & minerals & produce fat

Explain the effects of hunger & eating behavior when stimulating or destroying the appetite suppression areas of the hypothalamus

-Stimulated:Animals will stop eating -Destroyed:Animals eat & eat

Insulin

A protein hormone synthesized in the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels by facilitating the uptake of glucose into tissues

PYY

Digestive tract hormone; sends "I'm not hungry" signals to the brain

Leptin

Hormone produced by fat cells that causes the brain to increase metabolism & decrease hunger

Grhelin

Hunger arousing hormone secreted by the stomach

Orexin

Hunger-triggering hormone secreted by hypothalamus

Describe the role of glucose in triggering hunger

If your glucose levels drops, your stomach, liver & intestines will signal your brain that you're hungry & motivate eating

How might memory impact our desire to eat?

Part of our decision to eat is our memory of our last meal. As time passes, we think about eating again, & those thoughts trigger feelings of hunger

Explain how Cannon & Washburn's work established one factor that pushes or drives hunger

Washburn swallowed a balloon attached to a recording device. When inflated to fill his stomach, the balloon transmitted his stomach contractions. Washburn supplied info about his feelings of hunger by pressing a key each time he felt a hunger pang. They concluded that he was having stomach contractions when he felt hungry