Motivation and FoodMotivation and Sexual Behavior

Appetite HormonesInsulin: secreted by the pancreas

controls blood glucose.Leptin: secreted by fat cells, cause

brain to increase metabolism and decrease hunger.

Orexin: Hunger-triggering hormone secreted by hypothalamus

Ghrelin: Secreted by empty stomach; sends “I’m hungry” signals to the brain

Obestatin: secreted by the stomach; sends out “I’m full” signals to the brain

PYY: Digestive Tract Hormone: sends “I’m not hungry signals” to the brain.

SET POINTAs body weight rises—as happens when rats are force-fed, hunger decreases and energy expenditure increases. This stable weight toward which semi-starved and overstuffed rats return is their SET POINT. In rats and humans heredity influences body type and set point.

According to Myers:Some researchers doubt that our bodies have a pre-set tendency to maintain optimum weight. They point out that slow, sustained changes in body weight can alter one’s set point, and that psychological factors can drive our feelings of hunger. Given unlimited access to a wide variety of tasty foods, people and other animals tend to overeat and gain weight. For all these reasons some researchers have abandoned the idea of a biologically fixed set point.

According to Myers (cont)They prefer the term SETTLING POINT to indicate the level at which a person’s weight settles in response to caloric intake and expenditure (which are influenced by environment as well as biology.)

TASTE PREFERENCES: BIOLOGY AND CULTURE

Do you crave starchy, carbohydrate-laden foods when you are feeling depressed?

Carbohydrates help boost levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which has calming effects.

Myers says, “when stressed even rats find it calming to scarf Oreos.”

Culture affects taste too. Bedouins enjoy eating the eye of a camel, which most North Americans would find repulsive.

North Americans and Europeans shun horse, dog, and rat meat, all of which are prized elsewhere.

Alaskan Natives snack on whale blubber.

Campa Indians in Peru enjoy roasted ants.

Spices, Culture, and TemperatureThe hotter the climate, the more likely the recipe is to be spicy. Indian recipes average 10 spices per meat, whereas Finnish cuisine averages 2 spices per meat.

Interesting InfoResearchers have proved that by utilizing small serving utensils, plates, and bowls that people will eat less even if the tray containing the communal portion of food is the same size.

Our text asks the question….How do Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge-Eating disorder demonstrate the influence of psychological forces on psychologically motivated behaviors?

Fascinating StuffMothers of girls with eating disorders tend to

focus on their own weight and on their daughters’ weight and appearance.

Families of bulimia patients have a higher-than-usual incidence of childhood obesity and negative self-evaluation.

Families of anorexia patients tend to be competitive, high-achieving and protective.

The Teacher’s Manual Asks…Are there weight limits for being a member of

our dance group or cheer squads?

Is the weight of members monitored?

Have you had to have a difficult conversation with a member of the squad regarding being overweight OR underweight?

Psychology TodayResults of a 1996 questionnaire:89% of women said they want to lose weight,

22% of men wanted to gain weight.

15% of women and 11% of men said that they would sacrifice more than five years of their lives to be the weight they want.

Body dissatisfaction affected those women who described themselves as feminists as well as more traditional women BUT the feminists were less willing to use such dramatic measures as vomiting to control their weight.

Pregnancy was increasingly being viewed as an encumbrance to body image. Some women said they were choosing not to have children for this reason.

Teasing during childhood or adolescence had a lasting effect on womens’ feelings about their bodies.

More than three out of 10 women said that models in the media made them feel angry and resentful. Media models made 4 out of 10 women feel insecure.

Question for You GuysFor many years, flight attendants were required to maintain certain weights. Many women who served as flight attendants felt the policy was more about customer service than plane weight distributions. Should flight attendants be required to maintain a certain weight? In what ways might this be perceived as discriminatory?

“We put fast food on every corner, we put junk food in schools, we got rid of PE, we put candy and soda at the checkout stand of every retail outlet you can think of. The results are in. It worked.”

--Harold Goldstein, Executive Director of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy

Moving on to Sex and MotivationThe Physiology of Sex/The Sexual Response

Cycle

Discussed by Masters and Johnson

4 Stages were identified

The stages: Excitement Phase, Plateau Phase, Orgasm, Refractory Period

Description of The StagesExcitement Phase: genital areas become

engorged with blood. A woman’s vagina expands and secretes lubricant and her breasts and nipples may enlarge.

Plateau Phase: Excitement peaks as breathing, pulse, and blood pressure rates continue to increase. In men, penis becomes fully engorged and some fluid may appear at the tip. Vaginal secretion continues.

Orgasm: helps facilitate conception by body positioning: woman’s orgasm positions uterus to receive sperm. The euphoric feeling is similar for both genders.

Refractory Period: a resting period after orgasm during which a man cannot achieve another orgasm.

Discussion TopicWhat factors effect adolescent sexuality?

What about teen pregnancy?IgnoranceMinimal Communication about Birth ControlGuilt Related to Sexual ActivityAlcoholMass Media