PSY221P121
Eating- and Weight-Related Problems (EAWRP):
Risk Factor Assessment
(Syllabus - Spring 2014)
Type of Completion: Z (fulfilled or not)
Credits: 3
Course language: English
Responsible for the course:
Name: Mgr. Carlos A. Almenara, PhD
Address: Joštova, 10 – Office 2.53, Masaryk University (FSS), Brno.
Office hours: Appointment required.
e-Mail: carlos.almenara@mail.muni.cz
1. PERSONAL GOALS:
My major goal as teacher is to inspire my students to learn and think critically.
2. PURPOSE OF THE COURSE:
Eating- and weight-related problems (EAWRP) refer to a spectrum of
behaviours and disorders related to eating, weight, and body image. This spectrum
ranges from apparently mild problems such as moderate body dissatisfaction,
disordered eating patterns, minimal or excessive physical activity, mildly
underweight or overweight, to more extreme problems such as severe body
dissatisfaction, eating disorders, exercise dependence, lack of physical activity, and
morbid obesity.
Most of those apparently mild problems are common among general population
(e.g. dieting to lose weight). They might start during developmental years (e.g.
adolescence) and they could be a risk factor for the development of most extreme
problems (e.g. eating disorders).
Psychologists have to correctly and critically identify these risk factors. In order
to do that, they have to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to use proper
theoretical frameworks and suitable psychological instruments across
epidemiological, preventive, and clinical settings.
Accordingly, this course is aimed to provide students the knowledge and skills
necessary to critically identify and evaluate risk factors of eating- and weightrelated
problems, using up-to-date information and an evidence-based approach.
3. COURSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:
The overall goal of this course is that students acquire the knowledge and skills
necessary for the risk factor assessment of eating- and weight-related problems
(EAWRP).
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Identify the general concepts of EAWRP.
Identify core concepts like body dissatisfaction, body image, eating
disorders, obesity, healthy eating, physical activity, etc.
2. Know the most important theories about EAWRP.
Identify the more important theories of EAWRP such as the cognitivebehavioral
model, the sociocultural model, and the objectification
theory.
3. Know the different kinds of instruments to measure the different aspects of
EAWRP (cognitive, behavioral, social, and biological).
Identify and differentiate screening instruments, self-reports, interviews,
real-time data capture, and biological measures.
4. Critically select and successfully use the most proper psychological instrument
to measure a specific EAWRP.
Critically review the appropriateness of a test prior to its use.
Successfully use a test and knows the Standards for Educational and
Psychological Testing.
4. COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
This course is delivered in English, and students should have at least an
intermediate level (B1) in this language.
Classes are once every week. Classes are two academic hours long (45
minutes each one) and they are divided as follows: first hour of lecture,
being the teacher the most active, presenting the session’s content;
second hour of seminar, being the students the more active, presenting
and discussing the assignments.
To access the final exam, it’s necessary to attend at least 80% of the
classes (i.e. 9 out of 12 classes in total).
I encourage students to participate in classroom: asking questions,
answering, or making a comment or observation. For those who feel shy
speaking in public, I encourage them to participate. And those who feel
confident speaking in public, I encourage them to shape the classroom
atmosphere as warm and inviting as possible.
Read the assigned papers before the seminar session, this is very
important. The assigned papers have been carefully selected to give you
a background of information for the topic covered in the session.
I will monitor the participation during each seminar. Your opinion is
important.
5. EVALUATION:
The grading scale for this course is “zápočet” (Z), which means that you will obtain
a grade of “Z” (Započteno) if you pass the course or a grade of “N” (Nezapočteno) if
you don’t.
To obtain this final grade (Z or N), students are evaluated using a 5 points scale (A,
B, C, D, E). In this way, students obtaining an “E” in the total score fail to pass the
course.
To obtain the total score, I use the following calculation:
40% mandatory assignments.
25% participates in class.
35% Final exam (Multichoice answer quiz with 20 questions)
6. READINGS:
Ata, R. N., Rojas, A., Ludden, A. B., & Thompson, J. K. (2011). Factors influencing body image during
adolescence. In V. R. Preedy, R. R. Watson, & C. R. Martin (Eds.), Handbook of behavior, food and
nutrition (Vol. 5, pp. 3221–3239). New York, NY: Springer.
Bauman, A. E., Reis, R. S., Sallis, J. F., Wells, J. C., Loos, R. J. F., & Martin, B. W. (2012). Correlates of
physical activity: Why are some people physically active and others not? Lancet, 380(9838), 258–71.
doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60735-1
Birch, L. L., Savage, J. S., & Ventura, A. (2007). Influences on the development of children’s eating
behaviours: From infancy to adolescence. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research, 68(1),
s1–s56.
Cash, T. F. (2011). Cognitive-behavioral perspectives on body image. In T. F. Cash & L. Smolak (Eds.),
Body image: A handbook of science, practice, and prevention (pp. 39–47). New York, NY: The
Guilford Press.
Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E. (2011). Social psychological theories of disordered eating in college women:
Review and integration. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(7), 1224–37. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2011.07.011
García-García, I., Narberhaus, A., Marqués-Iturria, I., Garolera, M., Rădoi, A., Segura, B., … Jurado, M. A.
(2013). Neural responses to visual food cues: Insights from functional magnetic resonance imaging.
European Eating Disorders Review, 21(2), 89–98. doi:10.1002/erv.2216
Kashubeck-West, S., Saunders, K., & Huang, H. (2012). Measures of eating disorder symptoms and body
image disturbance. In K. L. Goodheart, J. R. Clopton, & J. J. Robert-McComb (Eds.), Eating disorders
in women and children: Prevention, stress management, and treatment (2nd ed., pp. 75–98). Boca
Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Le Grange, D., Lock, J. D., Loeb, K., & Nicholls, D. (2010). Academy for Eating Disorders position paper:
The role of the family in eating disorders. The International Journal of Eating Disorders, 43(1), 1–5.
doi:10.1002/eat.20751
Neumark-Sztainer, D. R. (2007). Addressing the spectrum of adolescent weight-related problems:
Engaging parents and communities. The Prevention Researcher, 14(3), 11–14.
Ogden, J. (2007). Diet and health. In S. Ayers, A. Baum, C. McManus, S. Newman, K. Wallston, J.
Weinman, & R. West (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of psychology, health and medicine (2nd ed., pp.
75–79). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Ogden, J. (2010). An integrated model of diet. In J. Ogden (Ed.), The psychology of Eating: From healthy
to disordered behavior (2nd ed., pp. 276–287). Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons.
Ogden, J. (2012). Eating behaviour. In J. Ogden (Ed.), Health psychology (5th ed., pp. 101–131).
Berkshire, UK: Open University Press.
Pavlova, B., Uher, R., Dragomirecka, E., & Papezova, H. (2010). Trends in hospital admissions for eating
disorders in a country undergoing a socio-cultural transition, the Czech Republic 1981-2005. Social
Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 45(5), 541–50. doi:10.1007/s00127-009-0092-7
Puhl, R. M. (2011). Weight stigmatization toward youth: A significant problem in need of societal solutions.
Childhood Obesity, 7(5), 359–363. doi:10.1089/chi.2011.0500.pers
Sigmundová, D., El Ansari, W., Sigmund, E., & Frömel, K. (2011). Secular trends: A ten-year comparison
of the amount and type of physical activity and inactivity of random samples of adolescents in the
Czech Republic. BMC Public Health, 11, 731. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-11-731
Smolak, L. (2009). Risk factors in the development of body image, eating problems, and obesity. In L.
Smolak & J. K. Thompson (Eds.), Body image, eating disorders, and obesity in youth: Assessment,
prevention, and treatment (2nd ed., pp. 135–155). Washington DC: American Psychological
Association.
Stankov, I., Olds, T. S., & Cargo, M. (2012). Overweight and obese adolescents: What turns them off
physical activity? The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 9(1), 53.
doi:10.1186/1479-5868-9-53
Túry, F., Güleç, H., & Kohls, E. (2010). Assessment methods for eating disorders and body image
disorders. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 69(6), 601–11. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2009.05.012
7. RECOMMENDED REFERENCE BOOKS
Acevedo, E. O. (Ed.). (2012). The Oxford handbook of exercise psychology. New York, NY: Oxford
University Press.
Allison, D. B., & Baskin, M. L. (Eds.). (2009). Handbook of assessment methods for eating behaviors and
weight-related problems: Measures, theory, and research (2nd ed.). California: Sage.
Buckworth, J., Dishman, R. K., O’Connor, P. J., & Tomporowski, P. D. (Eds.). (2013). Exercise psychology
(2nd ed.). Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics.
Cash, T. F. (Ed.). (2012). Encyclopedia of body image and human appearance. London: Elsevier.
Cawley, J. (Ed.). (2011). The oxford handbook of the social science of obesity. New York, NY: Oxford
University Press.
McVey, G. L., Levine, M. P., Piran, N., & Ferguson, B. (Eds.). (2012). Prevention of eating-related and
weight-related disorders: Collaborative research, advocacy, and policy change. Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier
University Press.
Reel, J. J. (Ed.). (2013). Eating disorders: An encyclopedia of causes, treatment, and prevention. Santa
Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Rumsey, N., & Harcourt, D. (Eds.). (2012). Oxford handbook of the psychology of appearance. Oxford,
UK: Oxford University Press.
Smolak, L., & Thompson, J. K. (Eds.). (2009). Body image, eating disorders, and obesity in youth:
Assessment, prevention, and treatment (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
8. ONLINE RESOURCES:
Tests and Measures in the Social Sciences (Compiled by Helen Hough, Health Sciences
Librarian, University of Texas at Arlington). This database contains information on
about 12,000 measures available in 128 compilation volumes. There is a database
version in RefShare and is also available on this website:
http://libraries.uta.edu/helen/test&meas/testmainframe.htm
Educational Testing Service (ETS) - Test Collection. The ETS Test Collection is a
database of more than 25,000 tests and other measurement devices. Contains
information about tests from the early 1900s to the present, and is considered the
largest compilation of such materials in the world.
http://www.ets.org/test_link/about/
Mendeley – Eating and Weight Related Problems Group (EAWRP). Students are
encouraged to use this bibliographic database specifically created for those
interested in EAWRP and those interested in this course. The database contains
more than 800 references covering different topics on eating, body image and
weight related problems. Students can access the database after sign up here:
http://mnd.ly/zdWz5t
Facebook – Eating and Weight Related Problems Group (EAWRP). Students may
participate through this Facebook group. This group is public and open to anyone,
and provides up-to-date news, scientific findings and miscellaneous information
related to EAWRP.
http://fb.me/EAWRP
(*) These readings are optional
Course Calendar (February to May: 12-week lectures; 1-week exam, 1 holiday: April 21):
Week Topics Readings (due on this date) Assignments (due on this date)
(1) Feb. 17
Course information and general introduction.
What are EAWRP? The spectrum of EAWRP, DSM-V
Criteria, BMI cut-off points,
(1) “Addressing the spectrum of adolescent [EAWRP]”
(Neumark-Sztainer, 2007)
(2) Feb. 24 Risk Factors of EAWRP; Prevalence and trends of EAWRP.
(1) “Risk factors in the development of [EAWRP]”
(Smolak, 2009) / (2) “Secular trends [in physical
activity]” (Sigmundová, El Ansari, Sigmund, & Frömel,
2011) / (*) “Trends in hospital admissions for ED”
(Pavlova, Uher, Dragomirecka, & Papezova, 2010)
Group Activities
(3) March 3
Biopsychosocial consequences of EAWRP: (1) Health
consequences; (2) Individual and social consequences
(body dissatisfaction, weight bias victimization –stigma-,
psychosocial adjustment).
(2) Weight stigmatization toward youth (Puhl, 2011) Group Activities
(4) March 10
Neurobehavioral approach to EAWRP: Signs, symptoms,
brain functioning.
(1) Neural responses to visual food cues (García-García
et al., 2013)
Group Activities
(5) March 17
Family and EAWRP: Parental influences (pre and post
natal), social trends and parenting, family functioning.
Assessment methods.
(1) “AED position paper: The role of the family in eating
disorders” (Le Grange, Lock, Loeb, & Nicholls, 2010) /
(2) “Influences on the development of children's eating
behaviours” (Birch, Savage, & Ventura, 2007)
Group Activities
(6) March 24
The Psychology of Eating Patterns: Food choices, food
frequency, food intake, decision making,
mindless/mindful eating. Assessment methods.
(1) Diet and health (Ogden, 2007) / (2) An integrated
model of diet (Ogden, 2010) / (*) “Eating behaviour”
(Ogden, 2012)
Group Activities
Course Calendar (February to May: 12-week lectures; 1-week exam, 1 holiday: April 21) (CONTINUED)
Date Topics and activities Readings (due on this date) Assignments (due on this date)
(7) March 31
The psychology of physical activity and sedentary
behavior: An overview. Assessment methods.
(1) “Correlates of physical activity” (Bauman et al., 2012)
/ (2) Overweight and obese adolescents (Stankov, Olds,
& Cargo, 2012)
Group Activities
(8) April 7
I. The Objectification Theory. Gender and EAWRP, body
surveillance, body shame, body anxiety. Assessment
methods.
"Social psychological theories of disordered eating in
college women: Review and integration" (FitzsimmonsCraft,
2011)
Group Activities
(9) April 14
II. The Cognitive-Behavioral Model. Body image attitudes
and investment. Assessment methods.
“Cognitive-behavioral perspectives on body image” (Cash,
2011)
Group Activities
(10) April 28
III. The Sociocultural Model (Tripartite Influence Model:
parents, peers, and media). Internalization, pressures,
gender. Assessment methods.
“Factors influencing body image during adolescence”
(Ata, Rojas, Ludden, & Thompson, 2011)
Group Activities
(11) May 5
Psychological assessment of EAWRP (Part 1): Basics of
screening; SCOFF, EAT-26, EDI-3, EDE (chEDE, EDE-Q,
YEDE-Q), BULIT-R.
“Assessment methods for eating disorders and body
image disorders” (Túry, Güleç, & Kohls, 2010)
Group Activities
(12) May 12
Psychological assessment of EAWRP (Part 2): Self-reports
advantages and disadvantages; MBSRQ, QEWP-A, KEDS,
McKnight Risk Factor Survey IV.
International Guidelines for Test Use
"Measures of eating disorder symptoms and body image
disturbance" (Kashubeck-West, Saunders, & Huang,
2012)
Group Activities
May 19 or 26 EXAM