Describe research findings on obesity and weight control.
Now that you have read and reviewed Chapter 10, take your learning a step further by testing your critical thinking skills on the following practical problem-solving exercise.
Janet and Sheila have been good friends since meeting in their introductory psychology class as first-year students. Although they are about the same height and age, their weights differ. Janet, whose parents are both obese, has always been between normal weight and 25 percent above normal. Acquaintances assume she is lazy and gluttonous, but Janet’s friends know that she is neither. Sheila’s weight is normal, as are her parents’.
As a final project in their health psychology class, Janet and Sheila decided to create an experiment with themselves as research participants. For a month, they ate the same total number of calories per day, spread across several small, healthy meals that were low in fat and included whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. They also added a brisk, 30-minute walk to their daily routines. At the end of the month, Janet and Sheila weighed themselves for the first time since the experiment began. Although Janet was pleased to find that she had lost some weight, Sheila had lost more. When they presented their findings to the class, several students speculated that perhaps Janet simply hadn’t employed the willpower that Sheila had and that was why Sheila lost more weight.
The following links will aid you in researching your assignment. Please click on the images. You may use any additional websites but be sure to cite them in your assignment.
Thoroughly respond to the following questions.
1. What factors in Janet’s background might have contributed to her obesity? (List three factors and explanation for 9 points)
2. What factors in Sheila’s background might have contributed to her being of normal weight? (List three factors and explanation for 9 points)
3. Why did Sheila lose more weight than Janet, even though they consumed the same number of calories, ate the same types of food, and did the same amount of exercise? (Summarize your response and be thorough for 7 points)
