CHAPTER 5

Toward Better Health

Chapter OverviewChapter Overview

Psychological Factors and Physical IllnessThe Immune SystemPersonalityLifestyle ChoicesEnvironmental Issues

Body Image•How We Feel About Our Bodies•Our Ideal Body

Toward Toward Better Better HealthHealth

Chapter Overview Chapter Overview cont’d

Promoting WellnessTaking Charge of Your Own HealthEating SensiblyGetting Enough SleepKeeping Physically FitFinding Social Support

Toward Toward Better Better

Health Health cont’d

Coping with IllnessNoticing and Interpreting SymptomsSeeking HelpAdhering to Treatment

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Body ImageBody Image

• How We Feel About Our Bodies• Our Ideal Body

CHAPTER SUMMARY CONT’D

Psychological Factors and Psychological Factors and Physical IllnessPhysical Illness

• The Immune System• Personality

• Lifestyle Choices• Environmental Issues

CHAPTER SUMMARY CONT’D

Coping with IllnessCoping with Illness

• Noticing and Interpreting Symptoms• Seeking Help• Adhering to Treatment

CHAPTER SUMMARY CONT’D

Promoting WellnessPromoting Wellness

• Taking Charge of Your Own Health

• Eating Sensibly

• Getting Enough Sleep• Keeping Physically Fit• Finding Social Support

Health PsychologyHealth Psychology

A subfield in psychology that is concerned with how psychological and social factors affect health, wellness,

and illness.

Body ImageBody Image

IntroductionBody Image refers to the mental image we

form of our own bodies.• Many people lack a clear body image…

fail to take care of themselves.• …their “internal” body image may be less

well-formed.• Some suffer from depersonalization (or

unembodiment), the sense of not being intimately attached to our bodies.

How We Feel About Our BodiesHow We Feel About Our Bodies

• Body image is part of self-concept (covered in Chapter 4).

• American society places emphasis on appearance; many Americans are unhappy with their bodies.

• Women are less satisfied than are men.• Overall dissatisfaction is increasing,

perhaps due to many of us being overweight.

• The media, parental attitudes, and teasing by others are cited as causes for dissatisfaction.

Our Ideal BodyOur Ideal Body

• … the body we would like to have.

• Every society has had different standards of beauty.

• In American society, standards are very narrowly defined, i.e., thinness, symmetrical face, youth.

• Standards for each sex differ: men and women misperceive what the opposite sex desires.

Psychological Factors Psychological Factors and Physical Illnessand Physical Illness

The Immune SystemA complex surveillance system that defends our bodies

by identifying and destroying various foreign invaders.

• The brain and the circulatory system are vital parts….

• The exact relationship between mind and body is unknown; however, psychological factors such as stress might weaken the immune system and make us more susceptible to illness.

PersonalityPersonality

• Certain personality traits (Goodwin & Engstron, 2002) are associated with perceptions of good health:– openness to experienceopenness to experience– extroversionextroversion– conscientiousnessconscientiousness

• Emotional instabilityEmotional instability is associated with perceptions of poor health.

PersonalityPersonality cont’d

• An important personality trait related to actual health is self-efficacy--

• …the belief that we can organize and execute various actions required to produce given attainments or outcomes.

PersonalityPersonality cont’d

• Feel they have control over their own health

• Are motivated to maintain a healthy lifestyle

• Participate in more preventive health measures

• Generally better follow health directives given by professionals

People highhigh in self-efficacy:

PersonalityPersonality cont’d

We can developdevelop a sense of self-efficacy by:

• Monitoring our own health behaviors• Setting short-term, attainable goals• Enlisting social support• Imitating others who maintain a

healthy lifestyle• BUT, becoming ill is not a sign of

personal weakness!

Lifestyle ChoicesLifestyle Choices

• Health choices we make (i.e., lifestyle choices) affect our health.

• Obesity, smoking tobacco, and using alcohol or illicit drugs are a few lifestyle factors that influence health.

• Lifestyle choices kill more Americans than any other factor.

• Lifestyle choices are almost completely within our personal control!

ObesityObesityAn excessive amount of body fat, usually

defined as exceeding the desirable weight for one’s height, build, and age

by 20 percent or more.

• …associated with an increased risk of illness and death from diabetes, high cholesterol, stroke, coronary heart disease, kidney and gallbladder disorders, as well as some cancers.

• It is currently surpassing tobacco use as the leading cause of death in America.

ObesityObesity cont’d

• Psychological and physiological factors contribute….

• Losing weight involves reducing calorie intake AND exercising more.

• Self-mastery plays a role. Individuals who feel they have control over what/where/when they eat more successfully manage their weight after participation in programs.

TobaccoTobaccoTobacco abuse--the abuse of tobacco to

such an extent that heart, respiratory, and other health-related problems develop.

• …remains a leading preventable cause of death in the U.S.

• People today are more aware of the dangers...

Tobacco AbuseTobacco Abuse cont’d

• Smoking is a difficult habit to break.• Other activities (e.g., talking on the

phone, drinking coffee) become conditioned to (paired with) smoking.

• Withdrawal from nicotine produces unpleasant symptoms.

• Relapse (return to the habit) among former smokers is common.

From: http://www.4girls.gov/4girls.cfm?page=substance/tobacco.htm

From: http://www.4girls.gov/4girls.cfm?page=substance/tobacco.htm

Alcohol and Drug AbuseAlcohol and Drug Abuse

Dependence on a psychoactive substance.

• Alcohol is widely used by Americans.

• … a major health hazard: highway deaths, kidney/liver damage, poor nutrition, etc..

Alcohol and Drug AbuseAlcohol and Drug Abuse cont’d

• Drug abuse: prescription drugs (e.g. pain killers) OR illicit drugs (e.g. cocaine).

• Abusers build a tolerance for the substance (require higher doses).

• Upon cessation, withdrawal is an unpleasant consequence; may be a factor in relapse.

• To prevent relapse after treatment, health professionals suggest avoiding high risk situations (e.g. parties where the substance is available).

Environmental IssuesEnvironmental Issues

Both the physical environment and the psychological environment can be toxic.

Physical EnvironmentPhysical Environment

Air, water, and land pollution are potentially toxic factors in the built

environment that surrounds us where we live and work.

Environmental IssuesEnvironmental Issues cont’d

Psychological EnvironmentPsychological EnvironmentPsychological (and social) environments may lead

to health problems and include situations that are:

• ambiguous – a cause is not readily evident• uncontrollable – the person has little control• unpredictable – an individual cannot predict the

outcome• unresolvable – no solution is apparent or

forthcoming

Coping with IllnessCoping with Illness

Noticing and Interpreting SymptomsNoticing and Interpreting SymptomsPeople vary on how attentive they are to

signs of illness.• Hypochondriacs--people who habitually

complain of unfounded ailments or exhibit undue fear of illness.

• …but health can be endangered by completely ignoring symptoms.

Noticing and Interpreting SymptomsNoticing and Interpreting Symptoms cont’d

Many cope with potential illness by employing one of the following:

• Avoidance – minimizing or denying symptoms

• Confrontation – dealing directly with the symptoms

• Downward comparison – comparing our health to others who are worse off than we are

People from different cultures may notice and manage symptoms differently!

Seeking HelpSeeking Help• Many people wait too long to seek

help.• …women more likely to seek

professional health care.• The health care provider plays a

role in our willingness to seek help (e.g., women physicians spend more time with patients, encourage two-way communication, and explain better).

Adhering to TreatmentAdhering to Treatment

Adherence to treatment regimens--

the degree to which a person’s behavior coincides with medical advice.

• As many as one-half of all people do not follow or complete prescribed treatments.

Reasons?Reasons?– dissatisfaction with the health professional– misunderstanding of illness or instructions– anxiety about drug dependence

How the instructions are framed plays a role:

Adhering to TreatmentAdhering to Treatment cont’d

• A positively framed message (about potential gains) promotes preventive practices.

EXAMPLE: If you exercise, you will live longer.

• A negatively framed message (potential costs) facilitates detection of symptoms.

EXAMPLE: If you don’t quit eating candy and donuts, you’ll become obese.

Promoting WellnessPromoting WellnessTaking Charge of Your Own Taking Charge of Your Own

HealthHealthKey factors in staying well:Key factors in staying well:• Understanding how your body works

• Managing stress effectively

• Knowing how the mind and body interact

• Developing healthy eating and exercise habits

Key factors in staying wellKey factors in staying well cont’d

• Monitoring your own health periodically

• Getting periodic medical checkups

• Keeping your own medical records

• Knowing the health risks of lifestyle, heredity, and environment

• Participating actively with your doctor in your own health care

Eating SensiblyEating Sensibly

• …the kinds of foods, how much we eat.

• A well-balanced diet includes adequate amounts of various food groups.

• Drink water!Go to:

www.mypyramid.gov

for an individualized plan!

Food groups, typical serving sizes:Food groups, typical serving sizes:

Getting Enough SleepGetting Enough Sleep

• Without adequate sleep, people:– make more errors– tend to fall asleep

involuntarily– interrupt their normal

sleep patterns

• The average adult obtains about 7 hours of sleep, but everyone differs in how much sleep they need.

Babies require lots more sleep than do adults!

Getting Enough SleepGetting Enough Sleep cont’d

We also need to dream, as Freud suggested.

• REM sleep is dream sleep

• NREM sleep is deeper, more restful sleep

Scientists are still unsure about why we dream or what dreams signify.

REM and NREM sleep vary over the course of night.

Keeping Physically FitPhysical fitness--

our ability to function efficiently and effectively, including both health-related and skill-related

fitness components.Despite knowing that exercise is beneficial:• 60% of Americans do not exercise regularly• 25% do not exercise at allBenefits of physical exercise:• Reduced risk of early death• Reduced risk of a number of diseases• Improved or elevated mood• Enhanced performance in daily life

Keeping Physically FitKeeping Physically Fit cont’d

To improve your fitness:• Identify your own personal needs• Select personalized exercises to increase

enjoyment• Vary your routines to prevent boredom• Exercise regularly on a daily basis if possible• Evaluate your routines and modify them accordingly• Find someone to exercise with you

Finding Social SupportFinding Social Support

…affiliate with others such as friends and family to find comfort and advice.

• People with strong social support networks are healthier.

• Those who are isolated are at risk!

• But support may not be for everyone…