Health and Fitness
Nutrition• Overweight and Obesity
– Obesity (20% over avg body wt) has been increasing for more than 2 decades (66.5% and 30% for adults)
– Heredity, but environmental pressures?• Sedentary lives• # calories and fat content of foods
– Between 25 & 50, adding wt is normal• Basal Metabolic Rate- energy needed at rest- declines
– Treatment-Earlier, better• Success Estimates from the class?• Lasting change: low fat diet + exercise, accurate recording, social
support, problem solving skills, extended intervention
Nutrition• Dietary Fat
– Nation’s health goals: 30% fat diet, 10% saturated– Links to breast cancer, colon cancer, cardiovascular
disease.– Saturated fat meat, dairy; solid at room
temperature.– Unsaturated fat vegetable oils; liquid at room
temperature– Best rule: less fat of all kinds, use unsaturated when
possible
Exercise• Fosters resistance to disease
– Moderate intensity-reduces fat, builds muscle, enhances immune response
– Associated with a number of other healthy behaviors– Disease prevention-inhibits growth of cancerous tumors
(animal research), enhances cardiovascular functioning in humans
– Reduces anxiety and depression, improves mood, enhances alertness and energy
• Associated with lower death rate• Recommendation: 20 min, 3 to 5x/wk, relatively
vigorous, heart rate 60 to 90% of max.
Substance use• Cigarette Smoking
– Reduced more than 15% since 1965.• Largest drop is in what population?• Earlier starting, greater consumption
– Ingredients and damage• Link between smoking and mortality is dose related• Benefits of quitting
– Return to non-smoking disease risks in 3 to 8 years– Those in treatment programs or using cessation aids often fail.
Why?
Substance Use• Alcohol
– 13% men, 3% women- Heavy drinkers (2+ drinks/day)
– 1/3 alcoholics– Genetic contribution to alcoholism, but ½ of
hospitalized alcoholics have no family history– Cost of Alcohol-related problems to society– 60% relapse w/in 3 months
Sexuality• Kinsey?
• Heterosexual Attitudes and Behavior– National Health and Social Life Survey- 1st in-depth
study of American’s sex lives based on a nationally representative sample
– Americans sexual activity?– In 18-59 yr olds, 1/3, 1/3, 1/3– Most Americans happy w/sex lives– Negative r between # partners and satisfaction– Satisfaction not only predicted by technique;
• Attained in context of love, affection, fidelity
Sexuality• Homosexual attitudes and behaviors
– AIDS has increased visibility of GLB community in the U.S.
– Avg U.S. Attitudes negative, but changing• NPR example
– Little evidence indicates similar patterns to heterosexual sex
– Larger percentages in large urban environments• Anonymity• Support/Social network• Acceptance