Health psychology responses

Eating Scenario

When 15-year-old Melanie went through puberty, she experienced and increase in appetite and gained about 20 lbs. Her family laughingly referred to her as "chubby," not realizing how deeply she was affected by their teasing. Melanie began using diet pills she ordered out of the back of a magazine and greatly restricting her food intake. She lost the 20 lbs. very quickly, and she received many compliments about how good she looked. Melanie lost another 15 lbs. on top of that, and when she received comments about looking too thin, she began to wear baggy clothing to hide her frail figure. Her daily food intake by this point was restricted to one small bag of pretzels, one apple, and one small container of yogurt. Melanie would exercise for up to 2 hours per day to burn off the calories from the food she had consumed. She found the diet pills were causing her to feel sleepless and irritable, however she was afraid to stop taking them for fear of regaining the weight she had lost. She ended up increasing the dose. Finally Melanie's parents, concerned about her appearance, sought help for her.

Why is a balanced diet important to a healthy body and mind? What health problems can result when a person eats/exercises too much, or too little? Is Melanie suffering from an eating disorder? Using the disease model of addiction as a foundation, is Melanie also suffering from a substance use disorder? Devise a plan to address the problems she is experiencing.

Student 1

Unit 5 Discussion
Professor and class,

A balanced diet throughout childhood and adolescents is critical to future physical and mental well-being. There are 5 categories of key nutrients our bodies need in order to function at their optimal level. They are proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins (Straub, 2015). When we eat food that is not nutrient dense, or skip food all together, we are robbing our bodies of the energy is needs to function properly. Eating more calories than our body uses causes weight gain. Over time this can lead to becoming overweight and obesity. Having an excessive amount of body fat increases the risk of developing many different chronic diseases. Poor nutrition not only affects our bodies but our mental functioning as well. An unbalanced diet leads to fatigue, irritability, loss of focus, depression and anxiety (Straub, 2015). Consuming foods that are rich in nutrients can give you steady energy and regulate moods (Straub, 2015). Diet either promotes or interferes with our quality of life.

Physical activity is essential for ideal physical and mental health. Regular physical activity can help maintain a healthy weight. Exercise releases endorphins, increases serotonin levels, and improves overall quality of life (Straub, 2015). Depression is less prevalent in individuals who get regular physical activity and exercise. Being active decreases the risk of developing chronic illnesses. Too much exercise results in exhaustion, injuries and decreased immune system functioning (Straub, 2015).

Melanie is suffering from an eating disorder. I believe she is suffering from anorexia nervosa. Indicators of anorexia nervosa are eating very limited calories, excessive exercise and extreme fear of gaining weight (Straub, 2015). Serious medical complications can develop if Melanie does not get the help she needs. Health complications can result in low thyroid function, irregular breathing, low blood pressure, and brittle bones to name a few (Straub, 2015). In regards to her use of diet pills, Melanie may be suffering from psychological and physical dependence to the substance. She is so afraid of gaining back the weight that she lost and has become dependent on this diet pill to ease her fears. Regardless of the negative effects of the diet pills (sleeplessness and irritability) she continued taking them and even chose to increase the dose. Based on the disease model of addiction drugs can cause a change in brain chemistry (Straub, 2015). Depending on the specific type of pill she used, her body may be dependent on the agent being present in her body. Withdrawal-relief hypothesis says that individuals with abnormally low levels of key neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin use drugs in order to restore these levels (Straub, 2015). Users who suffer from depression, anxiety or low self-esteem are more likely to abuse substances (Straub, 2015). Melanie appears to be experiencing several of these mood disorders. Combined with her substantial fear of gaining weight these two factors increase her likelihood of abusing the diet pills.

A combination of therapies can be used to help Melanie recover from anorexia nervosa. In some cases, force-feeding may be required to help patients consume enough calories (Straub,2015). Melanie has the benefit of having a family who is willing to help her with recovery. Family therapy has been proven to be beneficial for those suffering from anorexia nervosa (Straub, 2015). I would suggest the Maudsley model of family therapy for Melanie. This is tailored to adolescent patients and includes 10 to 20 sessions over the period of 6 to 12 months (Straub, 2015). In initial sessions parents are taught how to control their child's eating behavior and eventually fades into autonomous eating behaviors (Straub, 2015). Individual therapy may be needed for Melanie for up to two years (Straub, 2015). When treating eating disorders, other psychological problems are usually resolved (Straub, 2015). Melanie's compulsive use of diet pills will be addressed in family and individual therapy. Correcting her internal thinking process and behaviors will help her to see her disordered thinking and resolve her desire for using the diet pills.

References

Straub, R. (2015). Health psychology: A biopsychosocial approach (4th ed.). New York: Worth.

Student 2
Destiny Leonard

Eating

We eat food in order for our bodies to have the energy and the nutrients it needs to function and do daily activities. The key nutrients that we take into our bodies are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins (Straub, 2014). We use carbohydrates mostly for energy to help us do daily activities. Carbohydrates can be simple or complex. Complex carbs are harder for the body to break down and they keep up fuller and energized longer. Simple carbs are easier for the body to break down and don't keep the body energized for as long as complex carbs do. A healthy diet is very important because without our bodies and our minds can't function properly. When a person exercises too much and/or eats too little then the person looses too much calories and nutrients (Straub, 2014). When a person eats too much and/or doesn't exercise enough then the person gains too much weight and gets too much nutrients (Straub, 2014). When a person eats too many carbs, the pancreas takes those carbs and stores them as fat; when that fat builds up over time then the person becomes obese (straub, 2014).

It sounds like Melanie is suffering from the eating disorder: anorexia. Using the disease model of addiction, Melanie does have a substance abuse disorder. It sounds that she is addicted to the diet pills that she is taking. She feels like she needs to take the pills because she feels if she doesn't that she is going to gain the weight back. I would devise a plan to address her problems by having her talk to a therapist alone. I would also have her and her parents see a therapist so that they can talk in a controlled environment and each person can feel safe expressing their feelings. I would have her see a nutritionist who can devise a meal plan and an exercise plan so that she can keep her weight down, but in a healthy way. Losing weight in a healthy way is extremely important in order to keep body functions normal and within limits and for happy, healthy life.

References:
Straub, R. O. (2014). Health Psychology: A Biopsychosocial Approach (4th ed.). Worth Publisher.