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