Prologue The Story About Health Psychology

Prologue The Story About Health Psychology “Wide load” the boys shouted as they pressed themselves  against the walls of the hallway at school. They were ‘making room for a very overweight girl named Sara to pass through. Lunch time in the cafeteria was even more degrading for Sara because when she sat down to eat; her schoolmates would stop eating, stare at her every move, and make pig noises. “Kids can be cruel.” her parents would say to console her. One of Sara’s aunts told her that she inherited a glandular problem, and you can’t do anything about it.” and another aunt said, “You’ll lose weight easily in a couple of years when you start getting interested in boys.” Is either aunt right?

Sara’s parents are concerned about her weight because they know that overweight people often have social problems and face special health risks, particularly for high blood pressure and heart disease. But her parents are not sure why she is so heavy or how to help her. Although her father is a bit overweight, her mother is very heavy; was heavy as a child, and did not lose weight when she became interested in boys. This could support the idea of an inherited cause of her being overweight. On the other hand, they know Sara eats a lot of fattening foods and gets very little exercise, a combination that often causes weight gains. As part of their effort to change these two behaviors, they encouraged her to join a recreation program, where she will be Involved in many physical activities.

This story about Sara illustrates important issues related to health. For instance, being overweight is associated with the development of specific health problems and may affect the individual’s social relations. Also, weight problems can result from a person’s inheritance and his or her behavior.This Prologue was The Story of Health Psychology.