Overeating / Poor Eating Behavior

Overeating / Poor Eating Behavior

Your definition of health

Health refers to the level of metabolic and functional efficiency of living things. In human beings, health means the general condition of the mind of a person. This normally refers to being free from injury, pain, or illness. According to the World Health Organization, health is the state of complete mental, social, and physical well-being of a person and not the mere lack of infirmity or disease. However, this definition of health has drawn controversies. Critics argue that this definition of health lacks operational value and because it has used the term "complete" it remains to be a system of classification mostly used in measuring and defining health components (Carlat, 832).

How the consumer health behavior relates to the definition

Poor eating behaviors refer to abnormal eating habits that involve either excessive or insufficient intake of food that detriment the physical and mental health of a consumer. The most common eating disorders in the U.S. are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder whose features include the fear of the weight and binge eating. Initially, it was believed to be a disease affecting only women; however, researchers have established that the disorder is also affecting males, as well. They have estimated that 15% of people suffering from the disorder are men (Lucas 917). There is an increasing percentage of people with eating disorder all over the world among both women and men. Reports conducted by researchers indicate that women in the Western countries have shown the highest degree of suffering from the disorder. In addition, 50% of Americans have indicated to be aware of someone with an eating disorder. The major components of eating disorders include self-regulatory processes and motivational interactions (Busko 2007).

Poor eating disorders have been associated with medical situations and conditions. Cultural idealization of youthfulness and thinness are key contributors to poor eating habits that affect people. Studies indicate that females suffering from ADHD are the high risk of getting poor eating disorders than those who do not suffer from ADHD. Other researchers demonstrate that girls with PTSD arising from sexual abuse have a greater chance of developing anorexia nervosa (Biederman et al. 302). Further, studies demonstrate that foster girls have a greater chance of developing bulimia nervosa. However, idealized body types and peer pressure are significant factors contributing to poor eating habits. However, some researchers show that poor eating habits develop in some people due to generic related issues. While people suffering from poor eating disorder may require appropriate treatment, poor eating habits results in severe consequences that may lead to death. This can be from either indirect or direct such as medical impacts of disturbed eating behavior or suicidal thoughts (Cummins and Lehman 217).

Research the health problem of over eating / poor eating habits include information about factors surrounding the practice of positive health behaviors

According to the U.S. secretary of Health, poor eating disorders are the key causes of death among people. This has been worsened by lack of physical exercise and activity. In a report released by the Secretary of Human Services, consumers are taking in too darned fat. The report indicates that consumers are suffering from weighty problems arising from poor eating habits. The report demonstrates a steady rise in the percentage of adult with obesity. Further, it shows that in 2001, over 20% of adults in America were suffering from obesity (Patrick 186). In addition, 10 years later, researchers established that the problem was spreading to other states. The report shows unequivocal increase in surplus poundage throughout the nation while it reveals a surprising inverse link between customers' waistlines and their income. This means that the higher the income the lower rate of obesity. High obesity rates have been observed among consumers with low incomes (Lucas 919).

In a symposium done at the Harvard School, it was established that a high percentage of American were obese not because they prefer to be obese but because they cannot afford to become thin. Further, the symposium established that the economics of producing food have heavily favored cheap foodstuffs that contain high calories. In this regards, added sugars, added fats, and refined grains have been reported to be the cheapest elements of consumers' diet (Biederman et al. 303). Those commodities that are not appreciated by consumers seem to be the cheapest. Sugars, fats, and refined grains are the greatest contributors to high calories in the diets of consumers. This is because they contribute the highest degree of calories in the diets. The early man considered excess intake of poundage to be a sign of success or prosperity. For example, people who lived in early years associated voracious eating with fame. They believed in packing dozens of food such as oysters for appetizer. Dozens of steaks, which were eaten at once, followed this (Cummins and Lehman 220).

Advertising is the main cause of unhealthy eating habits

The daily life of consumers has been filled with advertisements making it inevitable for consumers select what they eat with consideration of adverts. This has made some consumers believe that advertisements are the key causes of improper eating habits. However, some people believe that unhealthy eating habits develop due to factors such as workload and the cost involved in choosing healthy food. Heavy loads of work have some negative impacts on consumers' eating behavior. When people are extremely busy, they lack enough time to eat while other may prioritize their work to eating. Such people would not eat until they finish their work. For example, auditors work for longer hours and their utmost concern is energy and not necessarily eating healthy food. Such people are less concerned about advertisements and proper eating habits (Lucas 919).

Healthy food is associated with high costs. Many consumers are familiar with healthy eating, but they may not afford healthy food. For example, the prices of organic food is usually doubled the price of ordinary food in shops. Most consumers purchase food that rhymes with the financial capability. In addition, consumers might prefer to eat Chinese food or healthy food only once a month while regularly taking ordinary food like fried chicken. As much as advertisements contribute to unhealthy eating habits, they also have a positive influence on positive eating habits. Advertisements promote healthy food. This leaves consumers to decision of whether to purchase healthy food or junk food. In summary, as much as researchers have attributed poor eating habits to advertisements it is not the key cause. For now, poor eating habits have been seriously held as the main contributors to poor eating behaviors.

Determination of a plan for behavior change with discussion as to appropriateness of plan for the consumer

Most consumers would like to make changes in their lives. This begins with exercising appropriately, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, maintaining the appropriate body mass index, limiting alcohol intake, developing hobbies and interest promoting healthy living, keeping the appropriate blood sugar and reducing stress. Healthy lifestyle does not only improve consumers' health: it also enables their body to function independently later in life. Adopting healthy living is easy to plan but a challenge to implement it. Even when consumers are greatly motivated, adopting a new eating habit or to break and old eating habit it terribly difficult (Snooks 32).

What helps?

Different researchers have focused their efforts towards establishing factors that contribute to a healthy lifestyle change and effective tools for clinicians. These tools are aimed at counseling patients on how they can adopt appropriate eating behavior. An emerging problem is that consumers are motivated by a sense of fear, regret, and guilt. Experts in researching behavior argue that a long lasting change is likely to occur when the change is self-motivated and based in positive thinking. A report released by a British Research company confirms that strategies that arouse regret and fear have been the least successful in embracing change (Biederman et al. 304).

Previous studies indicate that it is easy to reach defined goals than general ones. Setting too many goals is likely to limits divide concentration while working towards the goals. Another problem is that having a goal is not enough. Consumers are required to set goals and work towards achieving those goals. For example, if a person has a goal of sticking to a diet with low calorie, the persona must have a plan for meeting his or her hunger needs. This includes chewing sugarless gum, keeping a cup of tea or a bottle of water nearby. Researchers have also developed models of helping consumers account for failure or success. This provides explanations on the need to embrace healthy eating habits takes so long. Any efforts made by consumers in the right direction is worthy even if the consumer encounters setbacks or finds himself or herself backsliding frequently (Carlat 836).

Change is a process, not an event

Researchers have developed different behavior change models; however, the most effective behavior change has been the trans-theoretical model (TTM). Alcoholism researchers developed this model. The model presumes that a consumer is in one phase of change at any given time. This model entails Maintenance, action, maintenance, preparation or pre-contemplation (Patrick 189). The concept is that consumers have to shift from one stage to the next. The stages prepare them to move to the next ones sequentially. This suggests that if consumers hurry through or if they skip stages they are likely to experience setbacks. In addition, different stages apply different strategies. For instance, a person who is addicted to smoking and is at the pre-contemplation stage: this means that the person is not even thinking of quitting the habit. Probably, such a person is always not ready to consider making a list of alternatives (Lucas 920).

This model has been successful in areas such as drug abuse, smoking, and alcohol. However, the model has been applied in changing health behaviors such as dieting and exercising. Health experts and clinicians have successfully used this model in counseling patients. However, this model cannot be used with health experts alone and anyone can try this model. Any consumer who is motivated to change his or her eating behavior needs to assess the situation and formulates strategies. In this section, I would recommend the TTM stages of change as well as ideas on how consumers can move through changing poor eating habits (Snooks 18).

Pre-contemplation: this is the stage where the consumers do not have any conscious attention that he or she needs a change. At this stage, the consumers believe that having poor eating habits is genetic in their family. Some may not have conscious because they might have tried in the past but failed and this might have demoralized them. Such consumers tend to avoid thinking, talking, or reading about healthy eating behavior. However, their interest and awareness may be noted by influence form other people such as emotional experiences, concerns from family members, illness, moving past pre-contemplation and the desire to live healthy until old age (Thompson and Manore 16).

Contemplation: in the studies and programs that use TTM, consumers who admit that they would like to change over a given period are categorized as contemplators. Consumer often spends too much time vacillating. At this phase, the consumer is aware that the eating behavior is not appropriate, and change is inevitable. At this stage, the consumer is still not committed to taking any action (Gurung 44). Because of ambivalence, the consumer may weigh and reweigh the costs and benefits associated with the change. Health clinicians have developed appropriate strategies of helping consumers unstuck themselves and move on to the next stage. This includes making a list of pros and cons or embracing the change. The consumers must examine the disadvantages and brainstorm how he or she can overcome them. For example, for most women, regular physical exercising is a bit in convincing and they have too little time for exercise. If this is a problem, then the consumer may separate it into small portions of time such as three sessions each taking 101 minutes. If this is impossible, then the consumer can purchase an exercise tape so that he or she can use it to exercise at home during free time (Patrick 190).

Preparation: at this phase, the consumer is aware that change is mandatory. The consumer believes that he or she can change and makes plans of changing soon. This includes joining a health club, adding calorie, or purchasing nicotine patches. At this stage, the consumer must anticipate potential setbacks. If the consumer is planning to cut down on calories, the consumer must be aware of situations that are likely to provoke unhealthy eating habits and make plans around them. If the workload is the cause of the poor eating habits, the consumer may plan his work so that by the time other people are taking their meals, he or she will also be able to take a meal. Similarly, the consumer should make a list of a realistic plan of action with realistic goals that can be achieved. If the consumer has desired to exercise more or if he has been sedentary, the consumer should begin by making his or her goal and avoid excuses. This can be effective in making a consumer work towards achieving ambitious goals (Patrick 193).