PSYA02H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 14: Coronary Artery Disease, Autonomic Nervous System, Adrenal Medulla
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PSYA02H3 Full Course Notes
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Document Summary
The need for health psychologists has increased over the last century as premature deaths today are attributable to lifestyle factors. Average life expectancy of a smoker is 7-14 years shorter than nonsmokers. When discussing weight, psychologists and healthcare workers must also factor in a person"s height. Body mass index (bmi): a statistic commonly used for estimating a healthy body weight given an individuals height// calculated by dividing the persons weight by square of person height in metres. Canadian males are becoming obese earlier in life meaning weight related heatlh problems can occur at an earlier age than for previous generations. World health organization estimates that 1billion people are overweight and 300 million are obese. Genes account for between 50-90% of the variation in body weight. Genetic factors influence body type, metabolism etc. Set point: a hypothesized mechanism that serves to maintain body weight around a physiologically programmed level. Bodies naturally pull weight back to the set point.
