Deck 14: C: Health, Stress, and Coping

Question 1

Almost everyone is aware of the physical benefits of exercise,but fewer people are aware of the short- and long-term benefits of exercise.Describe some of these benefits.

Answer 1

A good answer will include the following key points.
- Researchers have demonstrated that intense exercise can boost cognitive performance immeditately.
- This effect may be due to an increase in dopamine,epinephrine,and BDNF.
- Exercise has also been shown to increase processing speed immediately.
- When sedentary adults between 60 and 85 years of age take up weekly exercise,they show improved brain functioning and cognitive performance.
- Regular exercise can also preserve cognitive functioning in older adults.
- Researchers have found that older people who are at genetic risk for developing Alzheimer's disease and who show cognitive impairments can slow the rate of memory decline by exercising.

Question 2

The causes of the obesity and being overweight are complicated.Provide examples of genetic,sociocultural,and lifestyle factors that contribute to this problem.

Answer 2

A good answer should include the following key points.
Genes: twin studies indicate that genes are responsible for 50% to 90% of variation in body weight.A person is thought to inherit a "set point" which is the default weight their body will go to without lifestyle extremes such as excessive eating (which will put them over this weight)or regular exercise (which may bring them below this weight).Variation around the set point is thought to be about 10% to 20%,so a person whose genetic set point is 100 kg could weigh between 80 kg and 120 kg depending on lifestyle.Thus,lifestyle factors clearly interact with genetic factors.
Sociocultural factors: cultural influences include advertising for foods that may cause weight gain.
Lifestyle: a sedentary lifestyle can cause weight gain both by a person eating more and by a person exercising less.
The interaction: genes may determine a set point but sociocultural factors such as advertising and lifestyle factors such as being sedentary can easily make a person go above their set point and are likely a reason that so many Canadians are obsess.