Outline and evaluate the Psychological explanations for Obesity

A weakness of the psychodynamic approach is that for the vast majority of obese people they have not encountered childhood abuse nor do they indulge in sleep-eating.

From a Behaviourists perspective eating behaviour is a learned behaviour, occurring through overeating through, classical conditioning this is when food is naturally associated with pleasure and food cues come to be associated with the pleasure response, operant conditioning this is when food is used as a reinforcer for desirable behaviour and learning theory this is when obesity is caused by observation and imitation of obese role models. In support of this Hardman et al. found that treating obesity by role models encouraging healthy lifestyles led to significant weight loss however Jackson (2008) reports that reinforcing children for eating creates an impulse that can lead to obesity suggesting that operant conditioning in childhood is to blame. Strength of the behaviourist theory is that it explains that food is a prime reinforcer and presents many opportunities to be used as reinforcement for desirable behaviour. A weakness however is that theories based on learning theory only have a short term success suggesting that biological and cognitive factors are more important.

From a Cognitive explanation obesity is seen as developing through maladaptive thought processes, with information processing having an important focus for food-related stimuli. In support of this Csejesi et al (2007) examined cognitive profiles of obese boys, finding them deficient in attention capabilities, suggesting that childhood obesity involves cognitive deficits. On the contrary Elias (2003) found that early onset, long term obesity leads to a decline in cognitive functioning suggesting that cognitive deficits could be an effect of being obese.

Other factors: availability-bigger portion sizes, consumption-fast food cheaper, advertising, changes in society-more women going to work, increase in computer games and television-more advertisements this is because society is believed to have become more dangerous, adults walk less- less exercise.