SC’s Obesity Rate

In Human Growth and Development, obesity is a topic that surfaces in every unit from babyhood to adulthood. It seems that America has a “growing” problem in weight control, one that affects many dimensions of a person, including his physical, emotional, and social well-being. That said, I read this morning that South Carolina ranks #5 in the nation in obesity. Why can’t we be # 5 in education and # 45 in obesity????

Seriously, why do you think SC is the fifth-fattest state in the country? In fact, a new study by two public health organizations determined that eight of the 10 most obese states are in the South.  By the way, our neighbors to the north and west, North Carolina and Georgia, aren’t even on the list.  What’s going on? Is it our buttered biscuits and fried chicken? Does it have to do with poverty and the food available to the state’s impoverished population?

Whatever the reasons, we have a problem in SC, and I’m curious about your thoughts as to its cause(s). I’m also wondering if you have some ideas about combating it. With 30 percent of our residents classified as obese, we must do something.

Overcoming Odds

In both the intro and the development courses, the topic  of abuse rears its ugly head. Although unpleasant to think about, this social ill and its twin sister neglect certainly exist. Daily, children are burned, slapped, battered, shaken, belittled, debased, and criticized beyond belief. Many are neglected emotionally and physically. They’re starving for love and sustenance, for hugs and hamburgers and kind words and milk.  And then there are those who suffer sexual abuse by those whom they trust to care for and protect them.

Yet somehow there are children who overcome all odds, the ones with resilience. Resilience, the ability to overcome circumstances that place a child at high risk for psychological or physical damage, includes several factors. Their easygoing, good-natured, and affectionate dispositions work to endear them to others. Somehow they’re successful in eliciting behavior in others that’s essential for their development. Resilient children are also usually intelligent, independent, and have good communication skills. I’ve also read that many have at least one person “in their corner” on whom they can rely for support.

What do you think? Do you know someone who has survived abuse and/or neglect? What was his or her “secret?” Do you think it was resilience? Be as specific as possible. I’ve got a great example, but you go first.

Brain Changes

While cleaning out files earlier today, I came across some information that I probably posted a year or so ago under a different title. I think it’s appropriate for re-posting because last week someone in my PSY 203 (Human Growth & Development) class asked a question about infants and how quickly their brains develop. I reminded her that all of us, even elderly people, can keep our brains fresh and fit. HOW? Just how do messages get conveyed to and from the brain? What about synapses within the brain itself? How can we keep those synapses in good working order?

I came across some “neurobic” exercises proposed by Lawrence Katz, Duke University neurobiologist, and Manning Rubin in The Owner’s Manual to the Brain (love that book!). Each exercise is designed to form new associations among previously unassociated parts of the brain and bring new resources to a person’s consciousness. This “mental jogging” results in the formation of new synapses and the rejuvenation of already established synapses. I’m all for that. What about you? Which of the following seems like a “doable” exercise in your life? Can you think of other suggestions?

• Make different smells available from morning to night. • Occasionally use your unaccustomed hand to brush your teeth. • Switch what you normally wear (pins, wristwatch, pocket contents, hair part, etc.) on the left side to the right side and vice versa. • Take a different route to a frequent destination, such as work. • Try picking out the right coins (and other objects) without looking. • Turn things literally upside down, such as a picture in your office. • Chat with people whom you (and others) tend to overlook (e.g., store clerks). • If you’re not an artist, try painting or drawing a picture. If you are an artist, try doing it with your feet. • Try searching for food in the wild. • If you exercise indoors, try switching occasionally to outdoors and vice versa. • Master some new piece of technology from time to time. This could range from something as simple as a new wine bottle opener to a digital camera. • Try eating and preparing ethnic foods you’ve never experienced. • Acquire a new hobby.

Power of Self-Esteem

In PSY 103, we’re beginning a study of “self” words, including self-esteem. I thought it might be interesting to cite the definition given in the text (Reece & Brandt) and ask you to respond to it. Is it true? Does it affect our choices, and if so, how? Does it influence how we see the world and our place it in? Again, how? In other words, read the definition of this powerful concept and react to it. You might consider including a specific example of how it applies to your life.

“Our level of self-esteem affects virtually everything we think, say, and do. It affects how we see the world and our place in it. It affects how others in the world see and treat us. It affects the choices we make-choices about what we will do with our lives and with whom we will be involved. It affects our ability to both give and receive love. And, it affects our ability to take action to change things that need to be changed.”

Do you agree or disagree with the above? Just how important is healthy self-esteem?

Facts are Facts

Over and over and over again, we’ll see studies that indicate racial, ethnic, gender, and age differences in some variable or another. For instance, the infant mortality rate is higher among African American babies in the United States than it is among Caucasians. At the same time, the suicide rate among white males is high compared to black males. Asian women have a longer life expectancy than any other group; in fact, if I’m not mistaken, the life expectancy of a Japanese woman is 85.

 While these facts are interesting in and of themselves, inquiring minds want to know WHY these differences exist.  Rather than getting huffy or annoyed that your group is being spotlighted, it’s more helpful to realize that these findings are TRUE and that if we remain open minded, perhaps then we can change things.  I’d certainly like to have a lower infant mortality rate among all American babies, and I’d like for white males to stop killing themselves…and for black males to stop killing each other!

What’s your feeling on this topic? Should we sweep these and similar issues under the rug and pretend that they don’t exist? Should we ignore differences and just hope problems will rectify themselves? Or do you think we should become more aware of our social differences and inequalities and perhaps become more educated about the WHY of events?

Who Am I?

As the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes, psychology usually focuses on the individual. However, each individual is influenced by a host of sources, one of which is his or her heritage. We’re  unique, and yet we’re a composite of nature and nurture, heritage and environment.

Last week I had the opportunity to spend a few days in New York City, and I was more impressed than ever with the diversity of people living in America. In fact, while on the ferry to Liberty Island, I felt a bit like a minority since no one around me was speaking English. While on Ellis Island, I snapped the above photograph of an exhibit in the museum. These images represent snapshots of America’s citizens, and I found myself wondering, “Where am I? Who am I like? Where did I come from?” While I’m different from millions of others, I’m just like them in many ways too.

Take a few seconds to study the above snapshots and ponder the differences and similarities between people. Can you spot someone like you? Are there those who are totally different? In what way? Are those with different noses and eye color like you in some way? I’m hoping that looking at the picture gives more meaning to the following quote and that you’ll respond to at least one line of it:

Every person is like every other person.
Every person is like some other person.
Every person is like no other person.

Who Knows???

In our discussion of mental and emotional disorders, several possible causes of depression and anxiety were examined.  In my evening section of the intro course, some students said they felt that chemical imbalances were the culprit(s) behind feeling blue, apprehensive, or uptight. Others felt that it was simply a question of mind over matter and that a person could and should discipline herself to think only positive thoughts. Christine stated that in her opinion, depression had to do with what was going on in someone’s life and that as time went on, he would “get over it.”

What do you think? Humans are indeed complex creatures, and while there are no easy answers to the causes of depression, anxiety, or any other emotional disorders, that doesn’t mean that we should shrug our shoulders and say, “Who knows?”

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, has this to say: “What a large number of factors constitute a single human being! How very many layers we operate on, and how very many influences we receive from our minds, our bodies, our histories, our families, our cities, our souls and our lunches! I came to feel that my depression was probably some ever-shifting assortment of all those factors, and probably also include some stuff I couldn’t name or claim.”

Do you agree with her? Disagree? Just what do you think about the causes of depression?

What is Success?

Over Spring Break I did a lot of reading that was indirectly related to psychology, and one of the books I read was You Learn by Living by Eleanor Roosevelt. I was amazed and pleased to learn that so much of her thinking fell right under the psychology umbrella!

Although there are dozens of things I could post that relate to the topics we’ve been studying, I’m going to post one that seems appropriate for the end of the semester.  As graduation approaches, hopefully people are pondering just what it is that they want from life and just what it means to be a success.

Read what Mrs. Roosevelt said and respond to it. “Success must include two things:  the development of an indivudal to his utmost potentiality and a contribution of some kind to one’s world….To leave the world richer – that is the ultimate success.”

So what do you think? Was she right? And what about you? Are you positioned on a path that will lead to the development of your potential and encourage your contribution to the world?

Fraidy Cat

Ever been called a fraidy cat? Just today, I came across two great quotes that relate to topics we’ve recently studied in General Psychology.

A week or so ago, we discussed motivation and zeroed in on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the internal ”push” people feel to become self-actualized. However, according to Maslow, sometimes we make our choices based on fear rather than personal growth, hence staying at the bottom or middle of the pyramid.

We also looked a various types of intelligence, including Daniel Goleman’s emotional intelligence. One component involves an awareness of one’s emotions, and a related element concerns managing one’s emotions. This brings me to fear.  Do people sometimes hang back rather than “going for it” because of fear? Do they sometimes even know that that’s their problem? Do you think that sometimes people aren’t able to manage their fears even if they’re aware of them?

Here are the quotes:

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” Anais Nin

“It’s a sad day when you find out that it’s not accident or time or fortune but just yourself that kept things from you.” Lillain Hellman

What do you think? Is fear keeping you from making your dreams come true? Is it keeping you in a relationship that’s no longer satisfying? Is it keeping you from making a phone call, speaking up for yourself, or flying in an airplane? It could even be fear (of ridicule, of exposure, of inadequacy) that keeps you from commenting on the blog.  In fact, some people even fear success!

What can you do to expand your life today? Do it, or your life will begin to shrink.

Hot Cognition

Doesn’t this sound like an intriguing term? It is indeed. Since we recently studied problem solving in General Psychology, I thought this topic might appeal to some people who often use heuristics (mental shortcuts) when making decisions. Frankly, that could apply to all of us since we all act from feeling and desire once in a while.

 

Hot cognition is a relatively new psychological term describing the mental processes that occur when emotions and personal goals influence judgment. Unlike cold cognition that is purely intellectual, it often relies on biases, hunches, feelings, intuition, “gut feelings,” and heuristics. People are especially likely to rely on this type of processing when making decisions that involve powerful emotions and self-interest.

 

Have you ever made a decision based on emotion before fully analyzing the situation? Have you ever found it hard to calm down enough to critically and clearly analyze what’s going on? Would you like to share an example?