- Area: Social and Behavior Sciences, Education, & Human Services
- Program: Psychology
- Type of Writing: Reflection
- Course Level: 1000
- English Speaking Nativeness: Native
- Year: 2021
- Paper ID: SaBSE&HS.P.R.1.N.2.2.2221
Class Reflection: A Healthy Mindset
Have you ever come home from a very stressful day at work and just started eating leftover chocolate cake just because it was the first thing you could find? I have. This semester in my psychology class, I had the opportunity to learn about behavior and behavior patterns. Stress eating is a behavior pattern. It is my desire to become a dietician. I would like to educate people on how to feel better and enjoy good health. I believe food choices are a foundation for how one feels physically. I started my return to my college education with a human nutrition class. In this class, I learned many things, but mainly how different types of food react within the body, and what nutritional needs that body has to maintain health. I have learned in my psychology class, that emotions drive people to eat. It is very important that we are aware of our emotions and look for alternate sources of dealing with them instead of food. In Psychology Today we learn that between 1976 and 2011, Americans moved from 48% of adults 20-74 years in age to 70% of adults 20-74 years in age being overweight including obesity (pg.531). This rise is greatest in America than any other country. Psychology Today also states that larger portions, “screen time,” fast food, and lack of exercise are all contributors (pg.530-531). This is a major epidemic, giving American’s a need for a consultation with a dietician as I desire to be.
I have learned about theoretical models of change. These will be important tools as I advance my career in dietetics, in helping people take charge of their health. I have learned that even people with low-will power can be successful with the appropriate tools. A positive attitude goes a long way in projecting us towards success. Psychology has helped me understand people which will be beneficial in getting to the bottom of one’s drive to eat. Eating is not just about hunger, although it would be much simpler if it were. Culture also affects our eating patterns. So much of our social interactions are around our culture and cultural events much of which contain food. Food always makes a social event better. It provides people with an opportunity to socialize longer as they snack or eat. I have loved adding this benefit of cultural and behavior patterns that drive people to eat to what I learned in my previous nutrition class about what nutrients my body needs to maintain health. These two concepts together will lay a great foundation as I move forward in helping others obtain good health.
References
King, Laura A. (2016). Experience Psychology third edition. New York, NY: McGraw Hill