PSY221P121
Eating- and Weight-Related Problems (EAWRP):
Risk Factor Assessment
(Syllabus - Spring 2015)
Type of Completion: Z (fulfilled or not)
Credits: 3
Course language: English
Responsible for the course:
Name: Mgr. Carlos A. Almenara, PhD
Address: (MUNI FSS): Joštova, 10 (Office 2.53), 602 00, Brno – Czech Republic.
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 attitudes,
behaviors and disorders related to eating, weight, physical activity, 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.
Some of these behaviors are common among general population (e.g. dieting to
lose weight). They usually start during developmental years such as childhood or
adolescence, and they could be a risk factor for the development of most extreme
problems such an eating disorders or obesity.
Psychologists have to correctly 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 assessment of risk factors associated with 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 per 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. 10 out of 13 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 each 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.
35% Final exam (Multichoice answer quiz with 20 questions)
25% participates in class.
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
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
Loth, K. A., Fulkerson, J. A., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. R. (2014). Food-related parenting practices and child
and adolescent weight and weight-related behaviors. Clinical Practice, 11(2), 207–220.
doi:10.2217/cpr.14.5
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
Perloff, R. M. (2014). Social media effects on young women’s body image concerns: Theoretical
perspectives and an agenda for research. Sex Roles. doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0384-6
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
Thomson, C. A., & Foster, G. D. (2014). Dietary behaviors: Promoting healthy eating. In K. A. Riekert, J.
K. Ockene, & L. Pbert (Eds.), The handbook of health behavior change (4th ed., pp. 139–154). New
York, NY: Springer.
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.
Lock, J. D. (Ed.). (2012). The Oxford handbook of child and adolescent eating disorders: Developmental
perspectives. 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 14,000
measures available in 140 compilation volumes. There is a database version in RefShare and it
is also available online:
http://libraries.uta.edu/TMdb/
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-todate
news, scientific findings and miscellaneous information related to EAWRP.
http://fb.me/EAWRP
(*) These readings are optional
Course Calendar (February to May: 11-week lectures; 1-week exam, 1 holiday: April 6th
):
Week Topics Readings (due on this date) Assignments (due on this date)
(1) Feb. 16
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. 23 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 2
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 9
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) / (*) Foodrelated
parenting (Loth, Fulkerson, & Neumark-Sztainer,
2014)
Group Activities
(5) March 16
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); (*) Dietary Behaviors (Thomson &
Foster, 2014)
Group Activities
(6) March 23
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 and physical
activity (Stankov, Olds, & Cargo, 2012)
Group Activities
(*) These readings are optional
Course Calendar (February to May: 11-week lectures; 1-week exam, 1 holiday: April 6th
): (CONTINUED)
Date Topics and activities Readings (due on this date) Assignments (due on this date)
(7) March 30
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) / (*) Social media effects (Perloff, 2014)
Group Activities
(8) April 13
II. The Cognitive-Behavioral Model. Body image attitudes
and investment. Assessment methods.
“Cognitive-behavioral perspectives on body image” (Cash,
2011)
Group Activities
(9) April 20
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
(10) April 27
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
(11) May 4
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
(12) May 11 EXAM