ALAN - HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY-NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOUR

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NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOR

• By
• Alan Sabu Thomas
• PG Clinical Psychology

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FOOD

• Food is any substance or materials eaten or drunk
  to provide nutritional support for the body or
  for pleasure. It usually consists of plant or
  animal origin ,that contains essential nutrients,
  such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins,
  or minerals, and is ingested and assimilated by
  an organism to produce energy, stimulate growth,
  and maintain life.

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FUNCTIONS OF FOOD

• GROWTH
• REPAIR
• ENERGY
• PROTECTION FROM DISEASE

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COMPONENTS OF FOOD

• CARBODHYRATE
• PROTEIN
• FAT
• FIBRE
• WATER
• TRACE ELEMENTS

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BODY MASS INDEX

• Body mass index is used to measure the healthy
  body size. The body mass index (BMI), or Quetelet
  index, is a heuristic measure of body weight
  based on a person's weight and height. Though it
  does not actually measure the percentage of body
  fat, it is used to estimate a healthy body weight
  based on a person's height, assuming an average
  body composition.
• Underweight - from 16.5 to 18.4
• Overweight - from 25 to 29.9
• Obese Class I - from 30 to 34.9
• Obese Class II- from 35 to 39.9
• Obese Class III- over 40

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BEHAVIOURAL DETERMINANTS AND ASPECTS OF EATING

• Although infants do not begin life with a choice
  of foods, some of the most obvious reflexes at
  birth are those associated with eating. Infants
  learn to associate eating with security and
  relief from anxiety, tension, and distress.
  Later, children eat in conformance to cultural
  and familial standards. These ingrained meanings
  attached to the roles of food in society suggest
  reasons that food habits can be changed only with
  difficulty.
• Although the choice of certain foods as opposed
  to others may greatly affect nutritional status,
  food selection includes multiple environmental,
  cultural, genetic, social, and sensory variables
  that interact in complex ways. One exception
  appears to be an innate preference for foods that
  are sweet. This preference is acquired in early
  childhood and continues throughout life.
• Selection of foods for nutritional or health
  reasons is a learned behavior. Infants have not
  been shown to have an inborn ability to select a
  balanced, nutritious diet. Variety of foods
  available has an important effect on food
  consumption the more the available foods are
  varied, the more of them people will eat.
• Behavior change is a key element in reducing the
  risk for chronic disease. Eating behaviors are
  acquired over a lifetime, to change them requires
  alterations in habits that must be continued
  permanently - beyond any short-term period of
  intervention.

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OBESITY

• Obesity is the excessive accumulation of fat in
  the body. The cause of obesity is quite simple -
  fat accumulates when more calories are consumed
  than are expended.
• Obesity is often a familial disorder, obese
  parents tend to produce obese offspring. Obesity
  is more common among women than among men, and
  its prevalence increases with age but decreases
  among individuals of higher socioeconomic status
  and greater levels of physical activity.
• Once obesity is established, food choices and
  caloric intake are no longer normal, and
  personality differences between obese and
  normal-weight individuals may be due to results
  of physiologic changes, social discrimination, or
  dieting.
• Disparagement of body image affects a larger
  percentage of obese persons than nonobese persons
  who characteristically dislike their own bodies.
  Such feelings are closely associated with
  self-consciousness and impaired social
  functioning.
• Although weight reduction ought to confer great
  benefits upon obese persons and be simple to
  accomplish, clinical experience has shown obesity
  to be remarkably resistant to treatment. The
  basis of weight reduction is deceptively simple
  Establish an energy deficit by consuming fewer
  calories than are expended or expending more
  calories than are consumed. Most such treatment
  is carried out under the direction of nonmedical
  groups and counsellors in programs that pose some
  hazard and are of uncertain long-term
  effectiveness.
• Treatment measures should be specified and
  outcomes evaluated treatment should be
  individualized and treatment effectiveness
  should be assessed. Behavioral weight control
  programs usually include group participation at
  weekly meetings for periods of two months or
  more, and involve techniques of stimulus control,
  eating behavior, reward, self-monitoring,
  nutrition education and physical activity.
• Obese patients who participate in regular peer
  group meetings following the completion of formal
  treatment maintain their weight loss better than
  those who do not participate in such meetings.

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ANOREXIA NERVOSA

• Anorexia nervosa is a condition characterized by
  extreme weight loss, amenorrhoea, and a
  constellation of psychological problems that have
  been described as the relentless pursuit of
  thinness
• Typical symptoms of the disease include
  depression and obsessive-compulsive behaviors, it
  is not clear if these psychiatric problems
  preceded weight loss or occur as a result of
  semistarvation. Depression is often the first
  visible sign of anorexia nervosa. Abnormal
  hormonal patterns characteristic of starvation
  also
• The clinical features of anorexia nervosa are
  personality characteristics such as rigidity or
  perfectionism, fear of obesity preceding the
  onset of the disorder, and the symptoms of
  starvation accompanying it. Serious body image
  disturbance is common, manifested by a lack of
  recognition of the severe emaciation and a belief
  that one is too fat. Individuals are often
  preoccupied with food, thinking about it much of
  the time, and often engaging in bizarre eating
  rituals.

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BULIMA

• Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by
  recurrent episodes of binge eating in which large
  amounts of food are consumed over a short period
  of time. These episodes are usually terminated by
  abdominal pain, self-induced vomiting, sleep, or
  the appearance of another person on the scene.
• Bulimia occurs among persons of normal weight but
  is present in half the patients with anorexia
  nervosa. The severity of binge eating ranges from
  occasional episodes of morbid overeating at a
  party to the severe form of the disorder, bulimia
  nervosa, in which the vomiting or purging follows
  frequent episodes of binge eating.
• There are many similarities between persons with
  anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Both occur
  primarily in young women, although bulimia occurs
  in slightly older individuals, both may relate to
  the current preoccupation with thinness and
  dieting.
• The symptoms of depression in the majority of
  bulimic patients and the presence of biologic
  markers of depression suggest that bulimia may
  represent a variant of mood disorder. Treatment
  of bulimia is cognitive-behavioral and
  pharmacologic. Behavioral treatment include
  modification of the behavioral program designed
  for obese patients and a combination of
  cognitive-behavioral and insight-oriented
  approaches.

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PICA

• Pica is the intentional and compulsive
  consumption of non-food substances. It occurs
  worldwide and is common among people of either
  sex and of all ages and races. Pica is often
  associated with nutritional deficiencies or
  toxicities, and is of special concern among young
  children and pregnant women.
• Geophagia is the consumption of earth and clay.
  Amylophagia is the consumption of starch and
  paste, and pagophagia is the eating of ice. The
  fourth category includes the consumption of ash,
  chalk, antacids, paint chips, plaster, wax, and
  other substances.
• People appear to be driven to consume these
  substances by nutritional deficiencies, but pica
  is not necessarily correlated with poor
  nutritional status. The nutritional hazards most
  frequently associated with pica are lead
  poisoning and iron deficiency anaemia .

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HYPOGLYCEMIA

• Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) can occur either
  after a fast (fasting hypoglycaemia) or several
  hours after the consumption of a meal (reactive
  hypoglycaemia). Many individuals have symptoms of
  weakness, confusion, and irritability after
  eating sugars or other carbohydrate foods.
• True reactive hypoglycaemia is diagnosed when
  symptoms of sweating, tremor, anxiety, and
  irritability occur at the same time as the
  documented low blood sugar level. Such a
  diagnosis may indicate the early presence of a
  disease such as diabetes.

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HYPERACTIVITY

• Hyperactivity is a childhood problem often
  discussed in relation to nutrition. This
  condition is characterized by problems of
  inattention, excessive motion, impulsivity,
  learning disabilities, and related problems of
  conduct.
• Food additives, especially artificial dyes and
  colours , can cause hyperactivity.

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NUTRITION

• Nutrition science investigates the metabolic and
  physiological responses of the body to diet. With
  advances in the fields of molecular biology,
  biochemistry, and genetics, the study of
  nutrition is increasingly concerned with
  metabolism and metabolic pathways the sequences
  of biochemical steps through which substances in
  living things change from one form to another.

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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOUR

• The relationship between nutrition and behavior
  is two-fold. First, nutritional factors have a
  significant effect on behavior and this is
  particularly relevant for the prevention and
  treatment of behavioral problems of dogs and
  cats. Second, the nutritional status and health
  of animals may be affected by their behavior

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AUTISM

• The role of mercury, other vaccine-related
  toxins, toxic metals, toxic chemicals found in
  mothers milk, pharmaceutical drugs, vaccines and
  other sources, can all contribute. Intestinal
  dysbiosis and food allergies also play a
  significant role in many cases. These children
  can do extremely well on a nutritional balancing
  program.

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CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, AND ZINC -THE BIOCHEMICAL
SEDATIVES FOR HYPERKINESIS AND MANY LEARNING
DISABILITIES

• Calcium raises the threshold at which nerves
  cells fire, thus reducing the irritability or
  sensitivity of the nervous system. A person
  whose tissue calcium level is low is prone to
  nervous irritability. Zinc is another
  anti-stress nutrient. Zinc deficiency is
  associated with emotional instability. Magnesium
  is another powerful sedative. Magnesium sulfate
  is routinely given to patients during heart
  attacks as a sedative medication.

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OCD-OBESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER

• This is commonly associated with copper
  imbalance, manganese toxicity and perhaps other
  biochemical imbalances.
• As these improve, often the symptoms of OCD also
  improve a lot.

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BIPOLAR DISORDER

• Individuals with bipolar or manic-depressive
  disorder often have an underlying imbalance of
  slow oxidation and often copper imbalance. In
  addition, they often have a four highs pattern on
  a hair test or others indicating extreme stress.
  The combination of these two traits leads to the
  common pattern of days of high energy followed by
  a period of very low energy and depression. This
  can be corrected in most cases with nutritional
  balancing science in a relatively short time of
  months, usually, and with relatively little
  difficulty if one is willing to follow the
  program carefully.

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SCHIZOPHRENIA

• Copper imbalance, mercury toxicity, manganese
  toxicity, cadmium toxicity and other imbalances
  are associated with schizophrenias. Most respond
  beautifully to balancing the body chemistry.
  Results can be fast, but may take longer if a
  person is far out of balance.
• Copper and Schizophrenia. Joan, age 18, was a
  patient in Scottsdale Camelback Hospital with a
  diagnosis of schizophrenia. She responded poorly
  to medication and psychotherapy. Tissue mineral
  testing revealed a copper level of 40 mg, about
  15 times normal. Joan was placed on a diet and
  nutritional supplements to reduce tissue copper.
  Copper imbalance is quite common but goes
  undiagnosed because the tissue mineral test is
  not often done.

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SEIZURES AND EPILEPSY

• Nutritional balancing programs have helped many
  people with epilepsy and seizures even when
  medical tests have failed to detect an obvious
  cause for the seizures, and even when drug
  therapy has not worked at all.

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OTHER TOXIC METALS AND MENTAL HEALTH

• Copper is involved in numerous emotional and
  psychological disorders and random symptoms such
  as anxiety, mind racing, mood swings,
  irritability and others. This is because copper
  is a very bioactive mineral, especially in
  relation to the nervous system. It is associated
  with stimulation of the biogenic amines,
  epinephrine, nor epinephrine and dopamine. It is
  also involved in serotonin, monoamine oxidase
  (MAO) and other extremely powerful
  neurotransmitter substances and chemicals that
  influence nervous activity.

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• Lead. Thousands of children in the United
  States are affected by lead poisoning. Lead can
  cause mental retardation and hyperactivity in
  children, and violent behavior in adults.
• Mercury.Mercury accumulates in the brain, where
  it can cause severe behavior changes. Silver
  amalgam fillings, fungicides and paints are
  sources of mercury.
• Aluminum. Hair levels of aluminum are
  increasing rapidly in the American population.
  Research links excess aluminum with Alzheimer's
  disease and other dementias. Aluminum is
  acquired by drinking soda and beer from aluminum
  cans, and from anti-perspirants, anti-acids,
  table salt, cosmetics, salted foods, tap water,
  aluminum cookware and perhaps occupational
  exposure. It can be removed from the body if
  detected early enough.
• Cadmium. The Journal of Learning Disabilities,
  Vol. 18, 10, 1985, pp. 609-612 reported that
  among 980 male U.S. Navy recruits entering basic
  training, a significant correlation was found
  between hair cadmium levels and behavior
  problems. "The three subjects with the highest
  cadmium level all displayed serious behavior
  difficulties in recruit training".

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OTHER NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES AND BEHAVIOUR

• B-complex vitamins are essential for proper
  nervous system functioning. Many people report
  more energy and less depression when they take
  thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3) and
  pyridoxine (B6). Pantothenic acid (B5) also helps
  energy production. Two other members of the
  B-complex family, choline and inositol, act as
  natural tranquilizers. Many other nutrients can
  affect behavior. L-Taurine and l-tryptophan have
  a calming effect. L-phenylalanine and l-tyrosine
  can enhance thyroid activity and improve energy
  and mood. There are others as well.

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HYPERGLYCEMIA AND OTHER DISORDERS

• Carbohydrate intolerance is a common nutritional
  disorder that produces severe behavior changes.
  Diets high in carbohydrates, and deficiencies of
  manganese, chromium and other minerals are often
  involved. Among the most common symptoms of
  hypoglycemia are confusion, irritability, anxiety
  and at times violence. It is quite simple to
  identify carbohydrate intolerance and correct it
  with diet and food supplements, yet this common
  malady is often overlooked.

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FOOD INTOLERANCE AND BEHAVIOR

• Any food can cause reactions that affect the
  nervous system. One possible reason for these
  reactions is that histamine, the chemical that is
  released in allergic phenomena, can be released
  in the brain causing alterations in brain
  chemistry.
• Brain allergies are often overlooked in the
  search for reasons for anti-social behavior. One
  cause of ADHD is a reaction to allergic foods or
  chemical additives found in childrens foods.
  Dr. Benjamin Feingold, MD pioneered the study of
  food allergies on childrens behavior.
  Depression can also be the result of food
  allergies, or allergies to chemicals in food or
  drinking water.
•  

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ANXIETY AND PANIC ATTACKS

• This is one of the easiest conditions to correct
  using nutritional balancing science. Common
  imbalances include low or high and biounavailable
  calcium and magnesium in the body, low zinc, high
  copper, high levels of toxic metals, and rarely
  other imbalances.

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• THANK YOU