Psychology Of Physical Health Essay Research Paper

Psychology Of Physical Health Essay, Research Paper

In today’s society, a large portion of advertising dollars is spent on media hypes that deal with physical health. People are constantly bombarded with the “new and improved” ways to look good, feel better, live longer and achieve more. One can only wonder what effect this has had on the human psyche. I have personally been a victim of this type of hype. Starting in my early years, I was always bigger and heavier that the kids in my own age group. As a result of trying to be like every one else, I became very self-conscious. There have been a number of studies conducted by well-known psychologists regarding this matter. A few decades ago it was widely believed that obesity is a function of personality. Obesity was thought to occur mostly in depressed, anxious, compulsive people who over eat to deal with their emotions, (Greeson, Janet Ph.D.). I never subscribed to this theory; I ate because I like food. In 1989 a study indicated and research showed that there is no such thing as an “obese personality.” (Robin, Schank, and Striegel, Moore). Instead, research showed that a complex network of interacting factors determines whether people develop weight problems. Obesity, the condition of being overweight, is a common health problem in society today. The guideline used to determine obesity varies considerably. It is assumed that people are obese if their personal weight exceeds their ideal body weight by 20% (Atkins, Robert C. M.D.). Current surveys indicate that in the United States, about 24% of men and 27% of women are overweight. While it is a known and proven fact that being overweight can lead to a host of physical health related problems, it should be understood that a host of psychological problems might develop. There is a direct link between the body and mind, (Simonton, O. Carl M.D.). If a person is in questionable physical health, this can have a direct effect on the person’s state of mental health, just as if the person is in a poor state of mental health, this could have direct influences on the person’s body. Stress contributes to heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and other illness in many individuals.Stress, is a major factor in everyone’s life today. It comes in many different shapes and forms. Seventy five percent of the general population experiences at least some stress every two weeks (National Health Interview Survey). It is estimated that as many as 75 percent of all medical complaints are stress-related (Charlesworth and Nathan). In my case, I was always trying the newest and latest fad that came down the pike trying to lose weight. During these many adventures, which were destined to fail, I was on an emotional roller coaster, and I was not understanding the emotional stress I was feeling. It is much like what I’m now experiencing in this psychology class! The term “stressed out” is often used as a crutch to explain personal failures. Many a marriage has dissolved between a man and a woman for reasons that seemed trivial at the time, but the underlining factor could easily have been stress. Studies have shown that daily stress and mood fluctuations have strong ties. (Affleck et al., 1994 Repetti, 1993). A person may have had a very bad day at work. He may have been under extreme pressure, come home and take his frustrations out on his spouse. Pressure in anyone’s life can be translated into stress. Stress is defined as any circumstances that threaten or is perceived to threaten one’s well being and thereby taxing one’s coping abilities. Coping is the key factor in dealing with stress and people cope with stress in many different ways. Researchers have attempted to identify and classify the various coping techniques that people use in dealing with stress. For instance, in a study of how 255 adult subjects dealt with stress, 28 different coping techniques could be identified. (McCrae,1984). A study showed that coping tactics could be sorted 14 categories, (Carver, Scheier, and Weintraub, 1989). Individuals have their own styles of coping with stress, even though there are a number of tactics used, most people rely on some of the same strategies more than others, as reported in a study conducted by (Folkman et al., 1986; Heszen -Niejodek, 1977). Of course, an individual’s coping strategies are influenced by the situation the individual is in at the time. One of the most popular strategies is denial, where a person refuses to believe what has happened in their life. Another strategy is the use of alcohol; they drink in order to think less about their problem or hope the problem will go away. Some people turn to drugs to cope with their problems. While the aforementioned strategies are not considered the best way to cope, a large part of society seems to be under that belief for some unknown reason. Some of the better strategies that can be used are as follows: 1) the active coping method, this is when a person takes additional action to try to get rid of the problem. 2) Planning, this is when a person comes up with a plan to combat the problem. 3) Religion, occasions people will seek religion to help with the problem, while other will just seek advise from a close friend or family members. I personally prefer one of these strategies when I’m faced with a problem that causes me great stress. It helps me to control that urge to do a “drive-by”! The desire to rid society of that element which keeps people fro