Chapter 6 REVIEW QUESTIONS (Eating Patterns & Problems)

[Last update: 3/9/04]

Hales, D. (2004). Eating Patterns and Problems In An Invitation to Health / 3e (pp. 122 - 142). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson. 

  1. T/F?: According the federal estimates, the majority of Americans 20 and older are obese.
  2. T/F?: According the federal estimates, the majority of Americans 20 and older are obese or overweight.
  3. T/F?: Many overweight people assume they would be happier, sexier, and more successful if they were thinner.
  4. M/C: Which of the following factors cause obesity? (a) lifestyle (b) genetics (c) emotional influences (d) social determinants (e) all of the above.
  5. T/F?: Women who are obese are twice as likely to die of cardiovascular disease compared with women of ideal body weight.
  6. Define the following terms: body mass index, basal metabolic rate, satiety, binge eating, calorie, bulimia, hunger, appetite.
  7. T/F?: Extreme dieters may think they know a great deal about nutrition when in fact their beliefs about food and weight are often based on misconceptions and myths.
  8. T/F?: BMI = (height in meters)2 / (weight in kilograms) {ANS: false; the correct formula is BMI =  (weight in kilograms) / (height in meters)2
  9. T/F?: Obesity is defined as a BMI above 30.
  10. T/F?: Regardless of whether you consume fat, protein, or carbohydrates, if you take in more calories than you burn your body will convert the excess to fat.
  11. Which of the following determines body weight? (a) heredity (b) caloric intake (c) daily exercise (e) all of the above
  12. "Female athlete triad syndrome" is characterized three symptoms. Name these. {ANS: eating disorders, decreased bone mineral density, and menstrual dysfunction}
  13. How is the media responsible for developing the belief that "thinner is better?"
  14. Name two physical symptoms of extreme dieting. {ANS: Sensitivity to cold, weakness; also up to 15% underweight.}
  15. What does it mean to when we say someone is a compulsive eater? {ANS: It means they cannot stop putting food in their mouths even when they feel full.} 
  16. A calorie is an amount of ______________ that can be derived from food.
  17. T/F?: Appetite usually begins with the fear of unpleasant sensation or hunger.
  18. People who store fat around the waists giving them a(n) _______________ shape. While people who store fat around their thighs get a(n) ______________ shape. [The answers are fruit-shapes.]
  19. We stop eating when we feel ______________ [the technical term for feeling full or satisfied].
  20. T/F?: According to set-point theory, each person has an unconscious control mechanism regulating appetite and satiety to keep body fat at a predetermined weight. 
  21. What is the basal metabolic rate? (ANS: The number of calories needed by a body at rest to maintain body function.)
  22. List lifestyle factors that contribute to being overweight. 
  23. T/F?: Most successful weight loss programs incorporate an exercise component. 
  24. Match the type of causal factor with an example. Causal factors: 1) developmental, 2) social, 3) emotional, 4) lifestyle 
    Examples
    (a) a culture of over-consumption
    (b) number of fat cells (as influenced by childhood consumption patterns)
    (c) inactivity
    (d) psychological problems
  25. T/F?: The concept of "interaction" states all diseases are caused by multiple factors acting together.
  26. T/F?: Bulimia is epidemic in young women.
  27. T/F?: The most common form of bulimia is a ravenous binge --equivalent to several days' worth of food-- closely followed by a session of self-induced vomiting.
  28. T/F?: Bulimia is psychologically addictive and socially contagious.
  29. Why do people want to be thin?
  30. T/F?: "Thinner is better" is a worldwide preference.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

MULTI-CAUSALITY (CAUSAL INTERACTION)  -- Are you viewing health with more complexity than in the past? For example, the current chapter address the causes of obesity as: (a) developmental factors (e.g., number of fat cells -- influenced during childhood development), (b) social determinants (e.g., a culture of over-consumption), (c) lack of physical activity, (d) emotional influences (e.g., psychological problems), and (e) lifestyle (e.g., inactivity), and not merely a matter of "overeating" or "genetics." This is multi-causality or causal interaction, involving biological, environment, social, and other factors. Can you provide other examples of multi-causality?

determinant of the desire to be thinner are: media portraits of successful people; "easier to shop for cloths" (and, more generally) things are made for skinny people; the desire to be healthier; possible bias against obesity. We also discussed how some cultures view the obsessive view of "thin = beautiful" as silly. The "Rubenesque" woman (see text) and African man's view of big is beautiful was compared with the western view. One male student mentioned that the obsession for boys to be muscular parallels the female view to be thin.