Psychology Commons^™

Alterations To Taste Preference In Mc4r Haploinsufficiency Manifest Prior To Dietary Induced Obesity And Are Accompanied By Dendritic Spine Alterations To Medium Spiny Neurons Of The Nucleus Accumbens In Adulthood, Robert Francis Roscoe Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and has become an increasing public health concern for developed nations. Haploinsufficiency of melanocortin receptor 4 has been identified as the single most common monogenetic cause of obesity in humans. Using the MC4R +/- haploinsufficient rat, we sought to determine potential alterations in body weight and morphology, locomotor activity, sucrose concentration preference, and progressive-ratio operant testing in a dietary-induced obesity environment. Rats were placed on four separate diets corresponding to 1.7% saturated fat with 12.2% total kcal/fat, 6% saturated fat with a 40% total kcal/fat, 12% saturated fat with a 40% …

Mindful Eating: Trait And State Mindfulness Predict Healthier Eating Behavior, Christian H. Jordan, Wan Wang, Linda R. Donatoni, Brian P. Meier

Psychology Faculty Publications

Obesity and excess weight are significant societal problems. Mindfulness may encourage healthier weight and eating habits. Across four studies, we found a positive relation between mindfulness and healthier eating. Trait mindfulness was associated with less impulsive eating, reduced calorie consumption, and healthier snack choices. In addition, we found a causal effect of mindfulness on healthier eating. An experimental manipulation of state mindfulness led participants to consume fewer calories in a spontaneous eating task. We also found preliminary evidence that mindfulness affects eating behavior by encouraging attitudinal preferences for healthier foods. Taken together, these results provide strong evidence that mindfulness encourages …

Conflict And Playmaking: The Impact Of A Recess Enhancement Program On Elementary School Playgrounds In New York City, Elizabeth Lake

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

As time demands for schooling increase and children's freedom to play is under threat, the question of how play during school recess can best be designed to serve children has grown in importance. This research examines whether a peer-training program can influence children's activity choices and social behaviors and reduce conflict on elementary school playgrounds during recess and what aspects of such a peer-training program are important to this goal. Three general recess issues are considered: conflict, activity level and choice, and gender inclusion. The data was collected as part of a Recess Enhancement Program in a select group of …

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome And Neuropsychological Dysfunction: Understanding The Impact Of Obesity, Chelsea A. Hilsendager

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is the largest risk factor for the development of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), which is a common sleep-related breathing disorder that is associated with cognitive dysfunction. A growing body of literature suggests that obesity is related to negative neuropsychological outcomes independent of other health problems known to impact cognitive functioning (e.g., type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease). The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of obesity on the cognitive functioning of individuals with OSAS. Specifically, this study aimed to examine whether or not differences existed between obese and non-obese persons with OSAS on a battery of …

Using The Bite Counter To Overcome The Effect Of Plate Size On Food Intake, Phillip Jasper

All Theses

According to a recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, overweight and obesity have reached epidemic levels in the United States (Flegal et at., 2010, NHANES, 2010) There are many treatments for overweight and obesity, the most popular being behavioral interventions (Berkel et al., 2005). Self-monitoring is one of the most important factors of successful behavioral interventions (Baker & Kirschenbaum, 1993). The Bite Counter is a newly developed tool for weight loss that aids in the self-monitoring process (Dong et al., 2011). The purpose of the current study was to determine if bite count feedback and an instruction on the …

Automatically Measuring Individual Consumption Events During Natural Eating Using A Table Embedded Scale, Ryan Mattfeld

All Theses

This thesis is motivated to improve the tools available for tracking energy intake. The goal of this work is to develop a table-embedded scale capable of measuring the weight of individual consumption events during unrestricted eating. The method was tested on a data set gathered from 276 subjects eating 518 courses consisting of 22,383 marked individual consumption events in a cafeteria environment. Approximately 30% of the consumption events can be detected and weighed. The remaining 70% of the events occur without participants interacting with the scale or when noisy interactions with the scale prevent weight measurement. The relationship between bite …

Weight-Based Microaggressions Experienced By Obese Women In Psychotherapy, Kerri Jo Schafer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A large body of research demonstrates the existence of weight bias in healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, and dietitians (Budd, Mariotti, Graff, & Falkenstein, 2011). Very few published studies examine mental health providers' attitudes toward obese clients, but a small body of existing data suggests that mental health providers attribute more negative personal attributes to fictional obese clients and rate them as having more severe symptoms than their average weight counterparts (Agell & Rothblum, 1991; Hassel, Amici, Thurston, & Gorsuch, 2001; Young & Powell, 1985). Given these findings, it is important to understand whether obese clients experience mental health professionals …

Changing The Course Of Comorbid Eating Disorders And Depression: What Is The Role Of Public Health Interventions In Targeting Shared Risk Factors?, Carolyn Becker, Maribel Plasencia, Lisa Smith Kilpela, Morgan Briggs, Tiffany Stewart

Carolyn Becker

Public health has a productive history of improving global health due to its focus on reaching large populations using effective and scalable interventions. Yet, the marriage between evidence-based science and the implementation of community/public health interventions within mental illness remains underdeveloped. Research suggests that major depression is the most commonly cited comorbidity for eating disorders (EDs). Thus, identification of public health strategies that jointly impact depression and EDs, including shared risk factors, has the potential to significantly impact mental health suffering. The primary aim of this paper is to examine and discuss such public health approaches as well as explore …

Changing The Course Of Comorbid Eating Disorders And Depression: What Is The Role Of Public Health Interventions In Targeting Shared Risk Factors?, Carolyn Becker, Maribel Plasencia, Lisa S. Kilpela, Morgan Briggs, Tiffany Stewart

Psychology Faculty Research

Public health has a productive history of improving global health due to its focus on reaching large populations using effective and scalable interventions. Yet, the marriage between evidence-based science and the implementation of community/public health interventions within mental illness remains underdeveloped. Research suggests that major depression is the most commonly cited comorbidity for eating disorders (EDs). Thus, identification of public health strategies that jointly impact depression and EDs, including shared risk factors, has the potential to significantly impact mental health suffering. The primary aim of this paper is to examine and discuss such public health approaches as well as explore …

Head Start And Child Care Providers’ Motivators, Barriers And Facilitators To Practicing Family-Style Meal Service, Dipti A. Dev, Katherine E. Speirs, Brent A. Mcbride, Sharon M. Donovan, Karen Chapman-Novakofski

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This paper presents a qualitative investigation of the motivators, barriers, and facilitators for practicing family-style meal service (FSMS) from the perspective of 18 child care providers serving preschool children in Head Start (HS), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) funded, and non-CACFP child-care centers. Providers were selected based on maximum variation purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews were conducted until saturation was reached. Provider responses were systematically coded using thematic analysis. HS and CACFP providers reported being motivated to practice FSMS because it created pleasant mealtimes, opportunities to role model healthy eating, and healthful child development. CACFP and non-CACFP providers …

Obesity Related Perturbations On Cardiovascular, Immune And Endocrine Response To Active And Passive Stress, Ashley Elizabeth Burch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the obesity epidemic increases, the prevalence of obesity-related diseases grows simultaneously. The internal environment of chronic low-grade inflammation, which characterizes obesity, leaves individuals vulnerable to disease. Cardiovascular dysfunction represents a consequential effect of obesity. An early indicator of cardiovascular disease is an impaired stress response. Further, the type of stress (active versus passive) may be differentially affected representing additional distinctions in impairment. In the present study, we have used two types of stress (active and passive) to investigate obesity-instigated alterations in cardiovascular, immune and endocrine response to stress. In addition, we have evaluated how these systems may overlap to …

The Effectiveness Of Mindful Eating In A Student Population, Myles Maillet

2014 Undergraduate Awards

Eating while distracted (e.g., while watching television or in a conversation) or under cognitive stress (e.g., studying, reading, writing, etc.) has shown to increase food consumption, which can result in overeating. Frequent overeating is a major factor in the development of obesity, a serious health concern. The current study examined the potential benefits of mindful eating in a university setting where student eating habits are constantly influenced by environmental distractions and cognitive stress. Eighty undergraduate students were randomly assigned to either a mindful eating condition or control condition, followed by either a high or low cognitive stress condition. Cognitive stress …

Effects Of Brief Motivational Interviewing On Motivation For Weight Loss, Krystal Marie Waldo

LSU Master's Theses

Obesity rates have continued to increase over the past decade with a current estimate of 35.7% of adults who are obese in the United States. Several behavioral weight loss programs are available to individuals, which typically lead to a 10% decrease in body weight; however, most individuals begin gaining weight after six months. Long-term weight maintenance interventions may be needed to help individuals keep the weight off and more cost-effective, and tailored weight-loss treatments need to be available. Motivation may play an important role in long-term weight maintenance. Self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1995) states that it is important …

The Dieting Paradox : Using I³ Theory To Explain Counter-Regulatory Eating, Lindsay C. Morton

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Counter-regulatory eating occurs when dieters engage in disinhibited overconsumption after a transgression of their diet. It may be one reason why efforts to control one's weight through dietary restriction so often fail. Unfortunately, the causal mechanisms behind this behavior are a source of contention. To resolve the disagreement over what exactly triggers counter-regulatory eating, this dissertation applied I3 theory, which posits that three factors interact to determine disinhibited behavior: instigation, impellance, and inhibition. Three-hundred twenty-two female undergraduate participants were recruited for participation in this study. Instigation was examined using the traditional milkshake pre-load, in which participants' perceptions of caloric content …

Factors Influencing U.S Army Personnel Meeting Body Mass Index Standards, Salma Theus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Factors Influencing U.S. Army Personnel Meeting Body Mass Index Standards

by

Salma Theus

MS, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 2008

BA, La Sierra University, 2005

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Psychology

Walden University

September 2014

U.S. Army Regulations require soldiers to be fit, as excessive weight negatively impacts their readiness, health, and morale. A quantitative study examined if personal, behavioral, and/or environmental factors predict a soldier's self-efficacy and body mass index. Data were obtained from 117 soldiers on 6 scales: the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, the Army Physical Fitness …

Does Growth In Childhood Adhd And Depression Symptoms Predict Binge-Eating During Adolescence, Kathryn Van Eck

Theses and Dissertations

Binge-eating disorder (BED) refers to experiencing a loss of control while eating high quantities of food in a short period of time. A serious public health concern, BED is highly comorbid with other psychological disorders and increases risk for obesity and other health concerns, such as metabolic disorder and diabetes. Little is known about what mental health symptoms contribute to the development of BED for children and adolescents. Research with adults indicates that two strong predictors of binge-eating behavior include impulsivity and depression, and these symptom areas may contribute to BED for youth, as well. In the current study, I …