Edie Goldbacher, Ph.D. Department of Psychology La Salle University

1. Healthy Weight, Healthy Eating:Understanding and helping individuals with weight- and eating-related difficulties Edie Goldbacher, Ph.D. Department of Psychology La Salle University

2. An overview… • Who am I? • What is the context for trying to understand, prevent and treat eating- and weight-related difficulties? • What does this look like? • How are we at La Salle contributing to these efforts?

3. Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS,1990, 2000, 2010 (*BMI 30, or about 30 lbs. overweight for 5’4” person) 2000 1990 2010 No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%

5. The multifaceted nature of obesity • Genetics / Biological Factors • Environmental Factors • Availability / cost of food / advertising • Portion sizes • Characteristics of the built environment • Social Factors • Social support • Social / cultural / environmental stress

6. Conscious Choices?

7. The multifaceted nature of obesity: Behavioral Factors • Mindless / unintentional eating • Ineffective eating patterns • Sedentary behaviors • Ineffective problem-solving • Sensitivity to environmental cues

8. Behavioral Weight Loss:Not a diet, but a lifelong change • Self-monitoring • Goal setting • Problem-solving • Stimulus control • Coping • Relapse prevention • Pre-determined # of sessions (12 – 20 weekly, additional if needed) • Pre-set time frame (50 minute) • Weekly weigh-ins • Nutrition education • Physical activity • Behavior modification • Identify / modify unhelpful thinking patterns

9. Self-Monitoring I am going to need more information…

10. Self Monitoring Diet Physical Activity Weight

11. Stimulus control

13. Stimulus Control • Learning to pay attention to things that we identify in the environment and how they may alter eating habits. • Pavlov's Dogs-

14. The multifaceted nature of obesity: Psychological Factors • Emotions / stress • Alternatives • Binge eating • Approximately 1-5% of population • May be associated with weight loss difficulties • May require different / specialized treatment approach (e.g., CBT) • Other psychological factors • Psychological disorders

15. The multifaceted nature of obesity: Bias / Discrimination • Increased by about 60% over past decade • Omnipresent • Common stereotypes and attitudes • Being a victim is associated with physical and psychological consequences • Raise awareness / educate • Address in treatment as precipitant

16. Our work at La Salle: The community at large La Salle University’s Community Psychological Services: Healthy Eating, Healthy Weight clinic • Low-cost, sliding scale services • Individual services • Eating and weight-difficulties • Individualized treatment • Improving treatment options, availability and outcomes • Weight loss group

17. Our work at La Salle: The university community • Furthering our understanding of factors that contribute to eating and weight difficulties in students • Emotional eating • Examining weight-related attitudes among health care providers in student health centers • Promoting awareness, sensitivity and change

18. Interested in learning more? • Yale’s Rudd Food Center • http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/ • The Obesity Society • http://www.obesity.org/ • The Academy for Eating Disorders • http://aed-web.org/web/index.php

19. Questions? Thank you! goldbacher@lasalle.edu