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It only seems natural to consider the psychological effects of teen obesity and how it is affecting our youth. Not too long ago it would be unheard of to be having this discussion. The child obesity issue worldwide has received so much attention it seems appropriate to consider what is going on in their head. How is their weight issue effecting them emotionally? It’s what we don’t see in our children that is of most concern. We can easily see their day to day routines but what underlining psychological effects of teen obesity don’t we see?

It has been perceived that young children who are obese will grow out of it or they are just carrying “baby fat”. In some cases this is true and they do grow out of it, but what if they don’t. It’s a known fact that kids can be mean and bully. Children who are teased about their weight are more apt to have poor body image, low self-esteem, and symptoms of depression. Everyone wants to have friends but sometimes the obese teen feels isolated and lonely. Their self esteem is low and they use food as their comfort zone, which is usually high in fat, sugar, and calories. The isolation makes them less active so exercise is compromised. Because of peer pressure the psychological effects of teen obesity affects their overall health which can lead to more serious medical problems. The teen years are all about growing up, being more independent, and socialization. Peer pressure in teenagers is a major issue whether they have a weight problem or not , which is why teasing obese teens can be psychologically devastating.

Peer pressure is the hub of the psychological effects of teen obesity. The spin off is problems in school and missing too much school. Obese teens are absent from school more often than non obese teens. Some will miss school or skip classes to avoid ridicule and others due to medical complications associated with being obese. Behavioral and learning problems develop because they feel depressed and socially unaccepted . Obese teens have an equal right to education as non obese teens but the taunting effects them emotionally and it’s easier to avoid than confront. They are missing out on their education because of the psychological effects of teen obesity.

It appears clear that the psychological effects of teen obesity have the potential to be carried into adulthood. Including in some cases anxiety and obsessive compulsive behavior. An alarming number of obese teens grow up to be obese adults, although it doesn’t have to be this way. Once the weight problem is cured and their physical appearance has improved; their self esteem and body image will be restored. We must be careful not to ignore the psychological effects of teen obesity that they may still have bottled up inside.

Triggers To Watch For

Your obese teen has less energy or interests and is hesitant to participate in social relationships or other activities;

Your obese teen appears increasingly sad, lonely, angry or withdrawn.

Your obese teen has few friends.

Your obese teen has thoughts of causing harm to him/herself or others.

Your obese teen is obsessed with eating.

Your obese teen sleeps too much or not enough.

Your obese teen is reluctant to go to school.

There are steps that parents can do to help ease the psychological stress that results from teen obesity. Engage your teen in open dialog about their eating habits . Many times teens over eat because they are depressed. Openly communicating with your obese child about the problem will allow you to work a plan that is attainable. The good news is with proper nutrition, exercise, and a real good diet plan teens can overcome obesity and live a full normal life.

Psychological research is a vital necessity towards further development within society. Psychology is a varied discipline that covers many areas of study, and as such requires divisional areas of research, along with practical and effective research designs.

First of all we will take a look at areas of psychological research, and then move onto research methods.

Psychobiology

Psychobiology is the biological research of psychology. Psychobiologists study the human brain from cellular level to research possibilities and reasons for mental illness, such as schizophrenia, from a biological standpoint. It is one of the most popular research areas in psychology today. Psychobiology is a study of the brain.

Cognition

Cognition is a research study of how human process information, which importantly leads us to making everyday decisions. Cognition study is very much a research of the mind; how memory works, and how previous events effect future decisions (as per Sigmund Freuds hypotheses).

Human Development

Human development is an area of psychological research which involves the assessment, outcomes and, depending on age, possibilities across a lifetime. We will go through many changes in life from social, physical and cognitive mandates and decisions. Human development research has helped us understand the processes of childbirth (including raising the children), to career paths and outcomes.

Social Psychology

Social Psychology is a discipline in that how we psychologically affect each other as individuals in everyday society, and how opinions, superstitions and stereotypes lay their foundations in this vital area. An example research of social psychology would be a study of the types of writing styles and attitudes on an internet forum, and how it relates to the forum subject area.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is an applied research method in that psychologists evaluate appropriate therapy methods for illness such as Bi Polar, Anxiety and Depression in practical situations.

Psychological research designs can be categorised into three areas: descriptive, predictive, and experimental. Each have their positives and negatives, but are all appropriate depending on the type or subject of study taking place.

Descriptive

Descriptive is an informal research approach which gives a descriptive verbal picture of the current situation. It can be an eye balling naturalistic approach in a natural everyday environment, or a controlled laboratory observation. An individual or group can also be used as an example case study and a description of participants responses to a survey can also be used. The advantage of observational research is that it can validate further research, while the disadvantage is lack of control due to minimal or no facts.

Predictive

Predictive research methods can be categorised into two areas: corelational and quasi-experimental.

Corelational is the assessment of the relationship between two variables. An example would be the relationship between high powered cars and road fatalities (high powered cars being one variable, road fatalities the other). If the study showed the rate of road fatalities goes up when matched with high powered cars then this would show a positive relationship (both variables going in the same direction). Whilst if the study variable of high powered cars was replaced with low powered cars, and the road fatality rate was low, then this would be a negative corelational relationship.

Quasi-experimental predictive research method involves the selection of two identifiable groups. An example of this would be a study conducted on the body fat percentage of a division one soccer team against a division four team. If the division one team were to show lower levels of body fat then we could describe and predict that all higher level soccer players carry a lower body fat percentage than lower levels players. It is important to note that the quasi-experimental method differs from the experimental method in that the groups were naturally occurring.

Experimental

The experimental method could be seen as the most reliable, accurate and valid method of research. The experimental method involves a study where the variables are controlled as much as possible. For example, lets say a researcher was interested in the effect of consuming a No Doz tablet (containing 100mg of caffeine) 30 minutes before a weight training session in terms of levels of intensity.

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Our lives are intricately intertwined with our feelings. As you pass through life you will see many people who are strong both physically and emotionally. You will also see people who are weak. These people could be weak in their emotional outlook and in some cases they will be the victims of psychological abuse.

If you’re not the victim, it’s very easy to ask how anyone can let themselves be abused. The answers to this are difficult for us to understand even if you are trained to deal with these social problems. You could say that for many of these people the person who inflicts that misery of psychological abuse would be a family member. This implies that the sufferer has no control over their lives and they are dominated.

In psychological abuse this case scenario is absolutely true. The person who experiences psychological abuse will be unable to defend themselves. For this situation to occur the abuse has to start when the sufferer is in a weakened condition. For example the victim could be a young child and the abuser an adult who is looking after the child.

Another example of psychological abuse would be that of an elderly person. While this individual is in the prime of their life they are not dependent on anyone, therefore the psychological abuse will not have begun. As this individual grows older and frail the once friendly individual can become a tormentor. It is likely that this individual was at one point in their lives the victim of psychological abuse too.

Regardless of the root causes the psychological abuse is mentally and emotional deteriorating to the health of the sufferer. To make sure that this crime does not continue indefinitely it should be reported to the authorities and they should be informed of the condition of the victim. This will enable them to decide what sort of action should be taken with regard to both victim and tormentor.

Having stopped the psychological abuse does not mean that the person will be able to continue with their course of life as though nothing has happened. For the victim to recover completely from the effects of psychological abuse their needs should be followed up with therapy and counseling. For the elderly this also means looking for a suitable home for them to stay as they may not have the ability to recover from this psychological abuse as quickly as the young.

Regardless of whether the victim is young or old, male or female, psychological abuse is the act of tearing the victim’s self worth apart and making them feel totally worthless. This is how the tormentors are able to carry out their campaign of terror in absolute silence. This is why we sometimes never hear the silent tears for help.

Have you made the decision to have your clients mental status evaluated? Have you found yourself having difficulties preparing a lawsuit? Do you want to fine-tune your lawsuit?

If that is the case, you may want to check out what options are available to you when it comes to seeking and finding a mental health assessment expert. Through this article, you are provided with the guidance that you will need in order to identify those mental health experts who will be of the greatest use and service to you and your clients.

When you are looking to find a consulting psychologist to assist you with assessing a clients mental state, the first factor to keep in mind is the reputation of a particular professional. Obviously, when you are dealing with subjects as important, sensitive and potentially life-changing as your clients disabilities or injuries, you want to make sure that you connect with a reputable practitioner.

As with other areas in todays world, there are less experienced professionals who inject themselves into the field of forensic psychology, the psychological evaluation of accident victims. Therefore, be cautious about the consulting psychologists that you consider engaging for your clients assessments.

Ask how many years the psychologist has been practicing. At least 15 years is appropriate and check with your state Board of Psychology to determine if any disciplinary action has ever been taken against him.

In addition, make certain that you connect with a professional who does not have the reputation of being a commercial purveyor of testing services to lawyers. Practitioners who run testing or assessment mills can be superficial, careless, impatient and unavailable by phone and email.

Their arrogant and haughty attitude can be a real turn-off to your client who can be resistant to giving such personal information to someone who is offensive and whom he does not already know. The ability to develop a genuine rapport with your client is imperative to eliciting useful information from him.

The psychologists clinical experience is particularly important when it comes to dealing with issues relating to psychological assessment. Therefore, you will be best served by making sure that your consultant has a practice which is largely clinical and treatment-oriented.

Clinicians are best at developing that all-important rapport with your client, and when testing is only part of their practice, they justifiably create the impression of being a well-rounded and seasoned practitioner, rather than that of being the operator of an assessment mill.

In your analysis of various professionals rendering assessment services, you will want to consider their credentials. For instance, typically a psychiatrist has only about three years of training in mental health, which is obtained during the residency.

The overwhelming majority of their training is in chemistry, biology and general medicine. They mainly prescribe medication, do very little counseling or psychotherapy and receive no specialized training in psychological testing and assessment.

On the other hand, the psychologist has the bulk of his training in counseling, psychology, mental health and psychological assessment. This is obtained during his last 2 years of college, his 3 to 4 years of graduate and professional school and his internship.

Where psychological assessment is concerned, there is no question that the consulting psychologist will be more suitable to the assessment needs of your practice. Therefore, make sure that those professionals who you are considering have their doctoral degree in psychology and are licensed to practice independently.

The Internet rapidly has become a valuable tool for lawyers who are in need of psychological services for their clients. There are a number of different resources available to you today in this regard.

You will find that by accessing the web site of the American Psychological Association or your states psychological association, you will be in an excellent position to make wise and faster decisions pertaining to your practices needs for mental health assessment services.

It only seems natural to consider the psychological effects of childhood obesity and how it affects our children. Not too long ago such topics would be unheard of. The child obesity issue worldwide has received so much attention it seems appropriate to consider what is going on in their head. How is their weight issue affecting them emotionally? It’s what we don’t see in our children which is of most concern. We can easily see their day to day routine but what underlining psychological effects of teen obesity don’t we see?

Teasing and bullying could play havoc on the mind
It is often thought that young children who are obese will grow out of it or they are just carrying “baby fat”. In some cases this is true and they do grow out of it, but what if they don’t? It is a known fact that kids can be mean and bully others. Children who are teased about their weight tend to have poor body image, low self-esteem, and symptoms of depression. Everyone wants to have friends but sometimes the obese child feels isolated and lonely. Their self esteem is low and they use food as their comfort zone, which is usually high in fat, sugar, and calories. The isolation makes them less active so exercise is compromised. Because of peer pressure the psychological affects of childhood obesity affects their overall health which can lead to more serious medical problems. The teen years are all about growing up, being more independent, and socialization.

Is absenteeism linked to childhood obesity?
Peer pressure in teenagers is a major issue whether they have a weight problem or not, which is why teasing obese teens can be psychologically devastating.
Peer pressure is the hub of the psychological effects of teen obesity. The spin-off is problems in school and missing too much school. Obese children are absent from school more often than non obese children. Some will miss school or skip classes to avoid ridicule and others due to medical complications associated with being obese. Behavioral and learning problems develop because they feel depressed and socially unaccepted. Obese children have an equal right to education as non obese children but the taunting affects them emotionally and it’s easier to avoid than confront. They are missing out on their education because of the psychological effects of teen obesity.

Why psychological effects of obesity can be carried into adulthood
The psychological effects of child obesity have the potential to be carried into adulthood. An alarming number of obese teens grow up to be obese adults, although it doesn’t have to be this way. Once the weight problem is cured and their physical appearance has improved, their self esteem and body image will be restored. Parents must be careful not to ignore the psychological effects of teen obesity that they may still have bottled up inside.

There are steps that parents can do to help ease the psychological stress that results from teen obesity. Engage your teen in open dialog about their eating habits. Many times teens over eat because they are depressed. Openly communicating with your obese child about the problem will allow you to work a plan that is attainable. The good news is with proper nutrition, exercise, and a real good diet plan teens can overcome obesity and live a full normal life.

Childhood obesity can lead to social anxieties
Everyone has a unique view of the world which is different from anyone else. To live in harmony with each other, society has created standards in common agreement with the general population. This has also created a public view of obesity and the regard for it is hardly appreciative. Adolescent obesity automatically receives a negative reaction from society because of the preference for the slim and lean. Many are still subject to verbal abuse. Adolescent females, for instance receive derogatory names and the unending comments about their appearance from peers, family and strangers. There are also those who are subject to bullying or the other way around. Because of the social response for obesity, obese teenagers have the tendency to withdraw.

Adolescent obesity then creates social anxieties. Everybody in society wants to be accepted and belong to a group of their choice. Social anxieties for children are brought upon by the conditions of an adolescent’s environment. The development of social anxieties may not originate from home. Some develop the fear from traumatic interactions with non-obese children. The degree of trauma varies but the fear develops nonetheless. Here is where child obesity creates social anxieties. The world is different to people. A slim and healthy teen may have his peers’ admiration. He is able to do more such as participate in sports, granted by the blessing of a fit body. The confidence builds as skills and a healthy mentality develops. The case is different for an obese child. The less they participate due to their weight, the worse they feel about themselves. Some are afraid and limit themselves to a certain comfortable peer group who have already accepted their condition and are not bothered by it. They create boundaries in order to protect themselves from whatever danger a social interaction can bring to an obese child.

Taking a look at child obesity creating psychological anxieties, it is apparent that social anxieties are formed as a defense mechanism. Then why does child obesity create social anxieties? The answer is self-preservation. The world is still about survival of the fittest. An obese child may find himself at odds with world allowing psychological anxieties to creep in and take over.

Psychology is a very large area of study. There are very many different aspects to it. It is also not an exact science, and because of this, you will find that every now and again, there are some new advances, theories and ideas being put forward. This ideas, theories and new advances are often put together psychological journal articles.

When one has a theory, they will in most cases write a paper, explaining all the research, basis of research, methods used and so on. For these papers to be shared with colleagues and peers, the best way to share them is to have them published as psychological journal articles. Many of these journals were founded with one purpose. To keep educating and keep the professionals up to date with their colleagues work. It’s also a great way to learn new methods and approaches.

Psychologists are allowed to publish their works or theories that are up to be verified. These articles provide the students who read them with very different insights, and help them see the bigger picture. This makes what they are learning more real for them, and they see how the different theories and methods are applied in the world outside.

Students need to use theories that they read about in the psychological journal articles as a way for them to know and to learn how to deduce their own theories. It should also provide them and others with a better understanding of humanity. These articles often present countless cases and situations, and these are often used as case studies by the students.

The various aspects of social psychology could be examined within the wide concepts of intelligence, gender, advertising, consumer culture, stress and psychological issues that define society. Considering consumer behaviour, social psychology uses convincing theories to explain addictive consumption, the influence of advertising and the phenomenon of purchasing. Advertising is seen as a subtle psychological manipulation as it creates desires and anxiety in the potential consumers (Papers4you.com, 2006). Advertising can have both psychological and commercial aspects including misattribution, bias, suggestibility, and could be studied from global or local perspectives. Organisational consumption is seen as different from individual consumption although generic psychological theories of human motivation such as that of Maslow and Freud can explain consumer behaviour. However consumer behaviour can also be studied in terms of the notion of quality and its relation to customer satisfaction (Silva et al, 2005). The objective measures of customer needs, pricing and expectations of the customers may have to be analysed within Service Quality or Expectations models. Hogg and Garrow (2003) highlighted on the psychological aspects of gender and the influence on consumption of advertising. Advertising has been found to be processed and interpreted differently according to gender schemas and perceptions. This would in turn relate to psychological theories of gender such as the theory of biological determinism, Freudian theory of personality development, cognitive-developmental theory, and feminist theories. Bridging the gap between gender studies and gender differences in consumption could provide us with new insights on social and psychological aspects of consumer behavior. Orth (2005) indicated that consumer behaviour largely depends on consumer personality and susceptibility to interpersonal influence, consumer situational disposition such as risk taking and curiosity, purchasing behaviour and purchasing frequency and demographic variables such as age and gender. Contemporary consumer culture could be studied in relation to an excessive emphasis on beauty and appearance and an obsession with youth, a phenomenon that has seen an increased dependence on cosmetic surgery. The increased importance of the body in the consumer culture could be studied along with the significance of appearance in modern society, the role of marketing and advertising images, and the psychological need for self-expression (Papers4you.com, 2006).

Social psychology is however focused not just on consumption and public attitudes on advertising, but also on group behaviour, general individual and collective attitudes towards various social issues including war, work, violence and quality of life. This would in turn explain how individuals deal with stress, and focus on the psychological consequences of stress. Although psychological disorders may in some cases be a direct result of social stress, deviant behaviour in society could be explained with the help of several theories such as the theory of subcultures by Parker, the structural strain theory by Merton, or the theory of conformity. Social psychology is thus focused on explaining a wide range of issues from advertising and consumer behavior to public attitudes on social issues and antisocial behaviour.

Bibliography

Hogg M.K.; Garrow J. (2003) Gender, identity and the consumption of advertising Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, Volume 6, Number 3, June, pp. 160-174(15)

Orth, Ulrich R.(2005) Consumer personality and other factors in situational brand choice variation The Journal of Brand Management, Volume 13, Number 2, November, pp. 115-133(19)

Papers For You (2006) “P/M/510. Advertising: means of psychological manipulation”, Available from http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/sprtpsy3.htm [22/06/2006]

Papers For You (2006) “P/M/646. Causes of addictive consumption in modern society”, Available from Papers4you.com [21/06/2006]

Silva Jr, Nelson da; Lírio, Daniel Rodrigues (2005) The postmodern re-codification of perversion: On the production of consumer behavior and its libidinal grammar International Forum of Psychoanalysis, Volume 14, Numbers 3-4, Number 3-4/December, pp. 217-223(7)

There are various types of theories or information that comes with psychology that can be useful. Psychological theories are useful to a psychologist because, if it written, they can always refer to it again to find more truth or meaning to a certain reasoning. 

This kind of theories also help the psychologist in the legal world where the psychologist is helping the police try and find a criminal that has committed a certain crime and the police are baffled with how to move forward on the matter. Psychological theories help the psychologist draw a conclusion as to what happened and how to proceed from there.

Many a times criminal psychologist have used this theories to help better themselves in certain situations like getting to know the criminal better this way you get to know what the next move of the criminal will be as well as discover why the criminal is committing this kind of crimes.

Improving these psychological theories tends to happen a lot because as the times change so does the criminal mind but the behavior patterns do not. Most of these theories not only come from ideas you have made up or from what you have heard and learnt some come from previous cases as well as history books and by understanding human behavior.

You must be prepared to read all you can on a subject if you are to deal with all kinds of psychological theories as well as be prepared to learn more and discover new things that you can add to the previous theory that you had. So be prepared to have your theory on a criminal changed from time to time and also be ready to learn new things on how people’s minds are developing.