Chapter 14

1. Chapter 14 Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Adulthood

2. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

3. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

4. The Criteria for Becoming an Adult • The most widely recognized marker of entry into adulthood is when an individual first takes a permanent, full-time job. • Economic independence may be considered a criterion for adulthood. • More than 70% of college students reported that being an adult means accepting responsibility for the consequences of one’s actions, deciding one’s own beliefs and values, and establishing a relationship with parents as an equal adult. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

5. The Transition from High School to College • Parallels transitions to middle and high schools. • Involves movement to a larger, more impersonal school structure. • Peers are from a more diverse ethnic and geographical background. • Increased focus on achievement and its assessment. • Students are more likely to feel grown up, have more subjects to choose from, have more time to spend with peers, and have the opportunity to explore different lifestyles. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

6. Today’s College Kids • Today’s college students experience more stress and are more depressed than in the past. • The pressure to succeed in college, get a great job, and make lots of money were found to be pervasive concerns of students. • There has been a dramatic increase in the number of individuals who attend community college rather than four-year colleges. • An increasing number of today’s college students are “returning students,” those who either did not go to college right out of high school or went to college, dropped out, and have returned. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

7. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

8. The Peak and Slowdown in Physical Performance • Most of us reach our peak physical performance and are the healthiest between ages 19 and 26. • Few young adults have chronic health problems. • Hidden danger of peak performance and health is that young adults can push their bodies too far and bounce back quickly, leading to health problems later in life. • Muscle tone and strength usually begin to show signs of decline around the age of 30. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

9. Eating and Weight • Obesity • Dieting Black Hawk College Chapter 14

10. Obesity • Pervasiveness and Costs • Heredity • Set Point and Metabolism • Environmental Factors • Dieting Black Hawk College Chapter 14

11. Pervasiveness and Costs of Obesity • The prevalence of obesity has risen 8% in the 1990s. • Approximately one-third of the American population is overweight enough to be at increased health risk. • Obesity is associated with increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. • Obesity becomes more common with increased age, especially among women. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

12. Heredity and Obesity • Estimates of the variance in body mass that can be explained by heredity range from 25- 70%. • Identical human twins have similar weights, even when they are reared apart. • Research has also found that animals can be inbred to have a propensity for obesity. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

13. Set Point and Metabolism • Set point - the weight maintained when no effort is made to gain or lose weight. • Fat is stored in adipose cells which, when filled, prevent hunger. • When people gain weight, the number of their fat cells increases, possibly for good. • Basal metabolism rate (BMR) - minimal amount of energy an individual uses in a resting state. • BMR varies with age and sex: it is slightly higher for males and it declines with age. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

14. Environmental Factors and Obesity • Strong evidence of the environment’s influence on weight is the doubling of the rate of obesity in the U.S. since 1900. • This increase is likely due to greater availability of food (particularly food high in fat), energy saving devices, and declining physical activity. • Obesity is six times more prevalent among women with low incomes than women with high incomes. • Americans are more obese than Europeans and people in many other areas of the world. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

15. Dieting • The Diet Scene • Restrained Eating • Do Diets Work? • Exercise • Dieting: Harm or Benefit? Black Hawk College Chapter 14

16. The Diet Scene • Many divergent interests are involved in the topic of dieting: • the public – the media • health professionals – the diet industry • policy makers – the food industry • Societal norms promote a lean aesthetic body. • This ideal is supported by $30 million annual sales of books, videos, food, and pills. • Health professionals are frustrated by high relapse rates and the obsession with excessive thinness. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

17. Restrained Eating • Restrained eaters are individuals who chronically restrict their food intake to control their weight. • They are often on diets, are very conscious of what they eat, and tend to feel guilty after splurging on sweets. • When they stop dieting, they tend to binge—eat large quantities of food in a short time. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

18. Do Diets Work? • Few people are successful at keeping weight off long-term. • Some critics argue that all diets fail. • The majority of evidence indicates that some people who go on diets do lose weight and maintain the loss. • The frequency to which this occurs, and whether or not some diets are better than others, is still open to question. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

19. Exercise and Dieting • What is known about losing weight is that the most effective programs include an exercise component. • Exercise burns up calories and continues to elevate a person’s metabolic rate for several hours after the exercise. • Exercise lowers a person’s set point for weight. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

20. Dieting: Harm or Benefit? • Many people who are on diets should not be. • Even when diets produce weight loss, they can place the dieter at risk for other health problems. • Researchers have found a link between frequent changes in weight and chronic disease. • Liquid diets and other very low-calorie strategies are related to gall bladder damage. • When overweight people diet successfully, however, they become less depressed and reduce their risk for many health problems. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

21. Regular Exercise • Research suggests that both moderate and intense activities produce important physical and psychological gains. • Aerobic exercise is sustained exercise that stimulates heart and lung activity. • The main focus of exercise’s effects on health has involved preventing heart disease. • In addition to physical benefits, exercise improves self-concept and reduces anxiety and depression. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

22. Substance Abuse • Alcohol • Cigarette Smoking • Addiction Black Hawk College Chapter 14

23. Alcohol • Almost half of U.S. college students say they drink heavily. • Another recent study showed that 40% of students surveyed engaged in binge drinking. • Problems reported by almost half of binge drinkers included: • missing classes – troubles with policy • physical injuries – having unprotected sex • By the time individuals reach their mid twenties, many have reduced their use of alcohol and drugs. • Living arrangements and marital status are key factors in alcohol and drug use in the twenties. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

24. Cigarette Smoking • Smoking is linked to 30% of cancer deaths, 21% of heart disease deaths, and 82% of chronic pulmonary disease deaths. • Second hand smoke is implicated in as many as 9,000 lung cancer deaths a year. • Children of smokers are at special risk for respiratory and middle-ear diseases. • More than 50 million Americans smoke cigarettes. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

25. Addiction • Addiction is a pattern of behavior characterized by an overwhelming involvement with using a drug and securing its supply. • This can occur despite adverse consequences associated with the use of the drug. • There is a strong tendency to relapse after quitting or withdrawal. • Withdrawal symptoms consist of significant changes in physical functioning and behavior. • Controversy continues about whether addictions are diseases. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

26. The Disease Model of Addiction • Describes addictions as biologically based, lifelong diseases that involve a loss of control over behavior and require medical and/or spiritual treatment for recovery. • Addiction is either inherited or bred into a person early in life. • Current or recent problems in life are not believed to be causes of the disease. • Once involved in the disease, you can never completely rid yourself of it. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

27. The Life-Process Model of Addiction • In the life-process model of addiction, addiction is not a disease but rather a habitual response and a source of gratification or security that can be understood only in the context of social relationships and experiences. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

28. Recovery from Alcoholism • About one-third of alcoholics recover whether they are in a treatment program or not. • A positive outcome and recovery from alcoholism are predicted by: • a strong negative experience related to drinking • finding a substitute dependency • having new social supports • joining an inspirational group Black Hawk College Chapter 14

29. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

30. Sexual Orientation • Heterosexual Attitudes and Behavior • Homosexual Attitudes and Behavior Black Hawk College Chapter 14

31. Heterosexual Attitudes and Behavior • A large 1994 survey showed that Americans’ sexual lives are more conservative than previously believed. • Sexual behavior is ruled by marriage and monogamy for most Americans. • Married couples have sex the most. • Adultery is the exception rather than the rule. • Most Americans do not engage in kinky sexual acts. • Men think about sex far more than women do. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

32. Homosexual Attitudes and Behavior • Today, it is more accepted to view sexual orientation along a continuum from exclusive heterosexuality to exclusive homosexuality rather than an either/or proposition. • Researchers have found no differences between homosexuals and heterosexuals in a wide range of attitudes, behaviors, and adjustments. • An individual’s sexual orientation is most likely determined by genetic, hormonal, cognitive, and environmental factors. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

33. Adapting to Being Homosexual • Gays and lesbians experience life as a minority in a dominant, majority culture. • For homosexuals, developing a bicultural identity creates new ways of defining themselves. • Gays and lesbians are believed to adapt best when they don’t define themselves in polarities, such as trying to live in an encapsulated gay world completely divorced from the majority culture. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

34. Sexually Transmitted Diseases • Gonorrhea • Syphilis • Chlamydia • Genital Herpes • HPV • AIDS • Protecting against STDs Black Hawk College Chapter 14

35. Gonorrhea • An STD commonly called the “drip” or the “clap.” • It is reported to be one of the most common STDs in the U.S. and is caused by a bacterium from the gonococcus family. • The bacterium thrives in the moist mucous membranes lining the mouth, throat, vagina, cervix, urethra, and anal tract. • It is spread by contact between the infected membranes of one individual and those of another. • Gonorrhea can be treated with antibiotics. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

36. Syphilis • An STD caused by the bacterium Treponemapallidum, a member of the spirochete family. • Syphilis is transmitted by penile-vaginal, oral-genital, or anal contact. • It can be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her fetus after the fourth month of pregnancy. • In its early stages it can be treated with antibiotics. • In its advanced stages, syphilis can cause paralysis or even death. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

37. Chlamydia • The most common of all STDs. • It is named for Chlamydiatrachomitis, an organism that spreads by sexual contact and infects the genital organs of both sexes. • Its incidence is much higher than that of gonorrhea and syphilis. • Ten percent of all college students have chlamydia. • Women run a 70% chance of contracting it in a single sexual encounter. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

38. Problems with Chlamydia • Males have noticeable symptoms in the general region, and are able to get treatment. • Females are asymptomatic. • If left untreated, chlamydia spreads to the upper reproductive tract. • This can result in pelvis inflammatory disease (PID) and the resultant scar tissue in the fallopian tubes can result in infertility or in ectopic pregnancies. • One fourth of females with PID become infertile. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

39. Genital Herpes • An STD caused by a large family of viruses with many different strains. • The virus can be transmitted through nonlatex condoms and foams. • Three to five days after contact, itching and tingling can occur, followed by eruption of sores and blisters. • Although certain drugs can alleviate symptoms, there is no known cure for herpes. • People infected with herpes often experience severe emotional distress along with the physical discomfort. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

40. HPV • HPV is a virus (human papillomavirus) that causes warts on people. • A few types of the virus cause warts on the genitals. • The most common way to contract HPV is by having sex with or touching the genitals of someone who already has the virus. • Women with HPV are at a higher risk for cervical cancer. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

41. AIDS • An STD caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). • This virus destroys the body’s immune system. • A person with HIV is vulnerable to germs that a normal immune system could destroy. • Due to education and the development of more effective drug treatments, deaths due to AIDS have begun to decline in the U.S. • AIDS is increasing in some parts of the world. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

42. Who Has AIDS? • Of the AIDS cases reported through the end of 1999 in the U.S., 82% were men. • 18% were women. • 47% were gay men. • 25% were injection drug users. • 10% were people infected heterosexually. • 2% were people infected through blood or blood products. • In the U.S., a total of 733,000 cases of AIDS has been reported to the CDC. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

43. Contracting AIDS • Experts say that AIDS can only be transmitted by: • sexual contact – sharing hypodermic needles • blood transfusion – other direct contact of cuts or mucous membranes • Anyone who is sexually active or uses IV drugs is at risk for contracting AIDS. • No one is immune. • Once an individual is infected, the prognosis is illness and death. • The only safe behavior is abstinence from sex. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

44. Can You Be Sure You’re Safe? • In one study, 34% of men and 10% of women said they had lied so that their partner would have sex. • 47% of the men and 60% of the women said they had been lied to by a potential sexual partner. • 40% of the men and women said they would lie about the number of previous sexual partners (lessening it) to a potential partner. • 20% of the men and 4% of the women said they would lie about their results from an AIDS test. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

45. Protecting against STDs • Know Your and Your Partner’s Risk Status • Obtain Medical Examinations • Have Protected, Not Unprotected Sex • Don’t Have Sex with Multiple Partners Black Hawk College Chapter 14

46. Forcible Sexual Behavior and Harassment • Rape • Sexual Harassment Black Hawk College Chapter 14

47. Rape • Forcible sexual intercourse with a person who does not give consent. • Legal definitions differ from state to state. • Nearly 200,000 rapes are reported each year in the U.S. • Date or acquaintance rape is coercive sexual activity directed at someone with whom the individual is at least casually acquainted. • As many as two-thirds of colleges males admit to fondling females against their will and one-half admit to forced sexual activity. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

48. Characteristics of Rapists • Males are socialized in our culture to be sexually aggressive, to regard women as inferior beings, and to view their own pleasure as the most important objective. • Aggression enhances the offender’s sense of power or masculinity. • Rapists are angry at women generally. • They want to hurt and humiliate the victim. Black Hawk College Chapter 14

49. Victims of Rape • Most victims of rape are women, but male rape does occur. • Rape is equally as traumatic for male and female victims. • Victims initially feel shock and numbness and are acutely disorganized. • As they begin to get life back to normal, they often experience: • depression – sexual dysfunctions • fear – anxiety Black Hawk College Chapter 14

50. Sexual Harassment • Sexual harassment is a manifestation of power and domination of one person over another. • Sexual harassment can range from sexist remarks and covert physical contact to blatant propositions and sexual assaults. • Millions of women experience sexual harassment each year in work and educational settings. • It can result in serious psychological consequences for the victim. Black Hawk College Chapter 14