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weight set point
The particular level
of weight that the body strives to
maintain.
metabolism
The rate at which food is
converted to energy and expended by
the body.
FIGURE 2
The hypothalamus acts as the brain’s “feeding center” and is primarily responsible
for monitoring food intake.
Hypothalamus
Pituitary gland
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320 Chapter
10
Motivation and Emotion
Study Alert
A key point: Eating and
hunger are infl uenced both
by biological and social
factors.
PsychWork
NUTRITIONIST
Name:
Gail K. Rupert
Position:
Nutritionist
Education:
University of Pennsylvania, West
Chester, Pennsylvania; BS in Nutrition and Dietetics
Social Factors in Eating
You’ve just fi nished a full meal and feel completely stuffed. Suddenly your host
announced with great fanfare that he will be serving his “house specialty” dessert,
bananas fl ambé, and that he has spent the better part of the afternoon preparing it.
Even though you are full and don’t even like bananas, you accept a serving of his
dessert and eat it all.
Clearly, internal biological factors do not fully explain our eating behavior. Exter-
nal social factors, based on societal rules and on what we have learned about appro-
priate eating behavior, also play an important role. Take, for example, the simple fact
that people customarily eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at approximately the same
times every day. Because we tend to eat on schedule everyday, we feel hungry as the
usual hour approaches, sometimes quite independently of what our internal cues are
telling us.
Similarly, we put roughly the same amount of food on our plates everyday,
even though the amount of exercise we may have had (and consequently our need
for energy replenishment) varies from day to day. We also tend to prefer particular
foods over others. Rats and dogs may be a delicacy in certain Asian cultures, but
few people in Western cultures fi nd them appealing despite their potentially high
nutritional value. Even the amount of food we eat varies according to cultural
norms. For instance, people in the United States eat bigger portions than people in
France. In sum, cultural infl uences and our individual habits play important roles
in determining when, what, and how much we eat (Miller & Pumariega, 2001;
Rozin et al., 2003).
Other social factors relate to our eating behavior as well. Some of us head toward
the refrigerator after a diffi cult day seeking solace in a pint of Heath Bar Crunch ice
cream. Why? Perhaps when we were children, our parents gave us food when we
were upset. Eventually, we may have learned through the basic mechanisms of clas-
sical and operant conditioning to associate food with comfort and consolation. Sim-
ilarly, we may learn that eating, which focuses our attention on immediate pleasures,
provides an escape from unpleasant thoughts. Consequently, we may eat when we
feel distressed (Bulik et al., 2003; O’Connor & O’Connor, 2004; Elfhag, Tynelius, &
Rasmussen, 2007; also see the PsychWork box).
Obesity has become a serious health issue for many Ameri-
cans, who struggle to maintain a healthy diet and weight.
For Gail Rupert, a nutritionist with The Weight Loss Clinic
in Harrisburg, PA, motivation is a key ingredient in losing
weight.
In her approach to getting people motivated, Rupert says,
“It’s important to empathize with the patient so they don’t feel
like they are on their own with no support. I tell them I under-
stand that the weight-loss process can be frustrating and emo-
tional, and it may take a lot of persistence and consistency before seeing any
reduction in weight.
“Each client is different. Some patients have absolutely no knowledge of nutrition,
while others have at least some familiarity,” she explained. “For those with little
knowledge, I have to break down more diffi cult concepts to help them better under-
stand the procedure.
“For all patients, I make sure to give a reason why I’m suggesting a change. Most
patients wouldn’t change eating or exercise habits if I didn’t explain the positive
consequences of their actions. For example, exercising three times per week will
improve their metabolism and increase their weight loss,” she added.
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