Social comparisons and negative affect as indicators of problem eating and muscle preoccupation among children

The present study examined the utilization of social comparison practices and the role of negative affect in predicting body dissatisfaction, problem eating, and muscle preoccupation among young children. Participants were 236 children aged between 8 and 10 years. Children's eating, exercising, and muscle concerns were examined using a modified version of the Children's Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT), which included additional items pertaining to muscle bulk and exercising. Consistent with past findings, body mass index (BMI) was found to be the sole unique indicator of body dissatisfaction for both boys and girls. Utilization of social comparison practices with adults was the main unique indicator of the modified ChEAT factors for boys, while BMI was the main unique indicator of the modified ChEAT factors for girls. In addition, negative affect was associated with binging, food preoccupation, and social pressure to eat for boys and dieting and muscle preoccupation for girls. Findings are discussed in relation to previous studies with adolescents and adults.

Security practice: survey evidence from three countries

Computer security is becoming a global problem. Recent surveys show that there increased concern about security risks such as hackers. There is also an increase in the growth of Internet access around the world. This growth of the Internet has resulted in the development of new businesses such as e-commerce and with the new businesses come new associated security risks such as on-line fraud and hacking. Is it fair to assume the security practices are the same all over the world? The paper tries to look at security practices from a number of different countries perspective and tries to show that security practices are not generic and vary from country to country.

Body image and physical disability - personal perspectives

The current study used qualitative methodology to investigate the body image concerns of people with physical disabilities. Three males and four females aged between 22 and 50 years, in Melbourne, Australia, participated in the study. Three participants were heterosexual, two were homosexual and two described their sexual identity as predominantly heterosexual but ‘bicurious’. The data were gathered through individual interviews of approximately 2 h duration, where participants responded to a set of predetermined open-ended questions. The study found that bodily impairment had a negative influence on the participants’ psychological experiences, feelings and attitudes toward their own bodies. The impact of feedback from the social environment was highlighted, and there was evidence suggesting that individuals gradually adjust to their different bodies and increasingly accept their disabilities over time.

Body image dissatisfaction among males across the lifespan- a review of past literature

Objective: Most past research has focused on body dissatisfaction among females. This paper provides a review and evaluation of studies that have examined body dissatisfaction among males. Body dissatisfaction in males has been associated with poor psychological adjustment, eating disorders, steroid use, exercise dependence, as well as other health behaviors. It is therefore important to understand the level of body dissatisfaction, as well as the factors that are related to this construct. Method: The review is divided into three sections: body dissatisfaction among children, adolescents and adults. Within each section, levels of body dissatisfaction are examined, as well as the research that relates to sociocultural influences on body dissatisfaction. Difficulties in drawing valid conclusions from the data due to methodological problems are highlighted. Results: From the current data, it would appear that there are strong similarities in the levels of body dissatisfaction of male and female children, with most children demonstrating high levels of body satisfaction. During adolescence, boys are about equally divided between wanting to lose weight and increasing weight, but there are few studies that have examined a desire for increased muscle size. In adulthood, men evidence a stronger desire to lose weight as they get older. Conclusion: Overall, past studies have primarily focused on questions that are relevant to females, and there is a need to conduct studies that evaluate areas of body dissatisfaction that have greater relevance for males. This will then allow a better understanding of the relationship between body dissatisfaction and psychological and behavioral problems experienced by males at all stages of the lifespan.

Direct current electric potential in an anisotropic half-space with vertical contact containing a conductive 3D body

Detailed studies of anomalous conductors in otherwise homogeneous media have been modelled. Vertical contacts form common geometries in galvanic studies when describing geological formations with different electrical conductivities on either side. However, previous studies of vertical discontinuities have been mainly concerned with isotropic environments. In this paper, we deal with the effect on the electric potentials, such as mise-`a-la-masse anomalies, due to a conductor near a vertical contact between two anisotropic regions. We also demonstrate the interactive effects when the conductive body is placed across the vertical contact. This problem is normally very difficult to solve by the traditional numerical methods. The integral equations for the electric potential in anisotropic half-spaces are established. Green’s function is obtained using the reflection and transmission image method in which five images are needed to fit the boundary conditions on the vertical interface and the air-earth surface. The effects of the anisotropy of the environments and the conductive body on the electric potential are illustrated with the aid of several numerical examples.

The core of the global warming problem: energy

From the thermodynamic point of view, the global warming problem is an ''energy balance'' problem. The heat (energy) accumulation in the earth and its atmosphere is the cause of the global warming. This accumulation is mainly due to the imbalance of (solar) energy reaching and the energy leaving the earth, caused by ''greenhouse effect'' in which the CO₂ and other greenhouse gases play a critical role; so that balance of the energy entering and leaving the earth should be the key to solve the problem. Currently in the battle of tackling the global warming, we mainly focus on the development of CO₂-related measures, i.e., emission reduction, CO₂ sequestration, and CO₂ recycle technologies. It is right in technical aspect, because they are attempting thinner the CO₂ ''blanket'' around the earth. However, ''Energy'' that is the core of the problem has been overlooked, at least in management/policy aspect. This paper is proposing an ''Energy Credit'' i.e., the energy measure concept as an alternative to the ''CO₂ credit'' that is currently in place in the proposed emission trading scheme. The proposed energy credit concept has the advantages such as covering broad activities related to the global warming and not just direct emissions. Three examples are given in the paper to demonstrate the concept of the energy measure and its advantages over the CO₂ credit concept.

The influence of demographic, behavioural and treatments characteristics on problem gambling counselling outcomes

The paper considers the influence of client characteristics and gambling behaviour as well as treatment modality on the resolution of gambling behaviour for 591 clients who sought help from the publicly funded BreakEven counselling services in the state of Victoria between 1 July 1996 and 30 June 1997. Statistical data about clients and their consultations was collected in the form of a Minimum Data Set. On their own, client demographics accounting for 12% of the variance were identified as discriminating between problem gamblers who achieved some resolution of their gambling behaviour and those whose behaviour did not change. Variables associated with gambling behaviour accounted for 10% of variance and treatment variables for 12% of variance in treatment outcomes. Collectively, the three types of data could explain 26% of the variance in problem resolution. Importantly, these findings demonstrate that the resolution of problematic gambling behaviour is affected by a complex interplay of client characteristics, their gambling behaviour and the treatment they receive. It is argued that the evaluation of treatment programs for problem gambling, and potentially all counselling programs in the primary health arena, needs to include measures from each of these domains.

The relationship between quality of life and perceived body weight an dieting history in Dutch men and women

OBJECTIVES: (1) To study the relationship between quality of life (QoL) and measured and perceived weight and dieting history in Dutch men and women; (2) to assess the effect of weight loss over a 5 y period on QoL.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional study, in a sub-sample longitudinal over 5 y.

SUBJECTS: A total of 2155 men and 2446 women, aged 20-59 and recruited from the general population from three towns in The Netherlands.

MEASUREMENTS: Body weight, height, self-administered questionnaire including questions concerning demographic variables and weight loss practices as part of the Dutch Monitoring project on Risk Factors for Chronic Disease (MORGEN). The Rand-36 questionnaire was used as the QoL measure.

RESULTS: In men, measured overweight (body mass index, BMI>25 kg=m2) was not associated with any dimension of QoL after adjustment for age, educational level and perceived overweight. Perceived overweight was related to reduced scores for general health and vitality. This relationship was independent of measured obesity. A history of repeated weight loss was associated with reduced scores for role functioning due to both physical and emotional problems. In women, measured overweight was significantly associated with lower scores for five out of eight QoL dimensions and perceived overweight with three: general health, vitality and physical functioning. A history of frequent weight loss was related to significantly reduced scores in six dimensions. However, only with history of frequent weight loss, and uniquely in women, was there a significant reduction in
scores on mental health and limited emotional role functioning. Measured and perceived overweight and frequent weight loss were all related to reduced scores for physical functioning. Longitudinal data indicate that in older women weight gain of 10% body weight or more was associated with a significant deterioration in QoL.

CONCLUSIONS: When looking at measures of QoL in relation to overweight it is important to separate the effects of perception of weight status and history of weight loss. We observed that the latter two factors were associated with reduced scores on several dimensions of QoL, particularly in women. These associations were observed to be independent of body weight. International Journal of Obesity (2001) 25, 1386 – 1392

Understanding problem solving in requirements engineering : debating creativity with IS practitioners

RE is well-recognised as a creative problem solving activity by the systems development community. However, while substantial research has been conducted and knowledge gained about creativity in the general psychology of problem solving, creativity as it applies to RE remains a relatively unexplored area - one that has neither been comprehensively studied, nor highly recognised, as a research topic of importance. This paper attempts to address the above mentioned gap by presenting findings from a recent focus group study of creativity in RE as perceived by a group of RE practitioners. We provide a conceptual framework for understanding creativity in RE, which may be of use to requirements engineers attempting to enable more creative approaches and results, as well as adding to the existing, limited body of research in this area.

A performance comparison of three wireless multi hop ad-hoc network routing protocols when streaming MPEG4 traffic

Mobile ad-hoc networks are characterised by constant topology changes, the absence of fixed infrastructure and lack of any centralised control. Traditional routing algorithms prove to be inefficient in such a changing environment. Ad-hoc routing protocols such as dynamic source routing (DSR), ad-hoc on-demand distance vector routing (AODV) and destination-sequence distance vector (DSDV) have been proposed to solve the multi hop routing problem in ad-hoc networks. Performance studies of these routing protocols have assumed constant bit rate (CBR) traffic. Real-time multimedia traffic generated by video-on demand and teleconferencing services are mostly variable bit rate (VBR) traffic. Most of these multimedia traffic is encoded using the MPEG standard. (ISO moving picture expert group). When video traffic is transferred over MANETs a series of performance issues arise. In this paper we present a performance comparison of three ad-hoc routing protocols - DSR, AODV and DSDV when streaming MPEG4 traffic. Simulation studies show that DSDV performs better than AODV and DSR. However all three protocols fail to provide good performance in large, highly mobile network environments. Further study is required to improve the performance of these protocols in mobile ad-hoc networks offering VBR services.

Problem of precision missile guidance: LQR and H‡ control frameworks

Addressed here is the precision missile guidance problem where the successful intercept criterion has been defined in terms of both minimizing the miss distance and controlling the missile body attitude with respect to the target at the terminal point. We show that the H∞ control theory, when suitably modified, provides an effective framework for the precision missile guidance problem. The existence of feedback controllers (guidance laws) is investigated for the case of finite horizon and non-zero initial conditions. Both state feedback and output feedback implementations are explored.

Emotional reactions following exposure to idealized bodies predict unhealthy body change attitudes and behaviors in women and men

Objective: We explored the extent to which changes in emotional states following exposure to images of idealized bodies predict unhealthy body change attitudes and behaviors in women and men, and whether particular psychological traits mediate these effects. Method: One hundred thirty-three women and 93 men were assessed for unhealthy attitudes and behaviors related to body weight and muscles using the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), the Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire, and the strategies to increase muscles subscale of the Body Change Inventory. Psychological traits assessed included body dissatisfaction (EDI-2), internalization of the thin/athletic ideal (Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3), body comparison (Body Comparison Scale), self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory), depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II), and identity confusion (Self-Concept Clarity Scale). Participants were then exposed to photographs of thin female models and muscular male models, and visual analogue scales were used to measure changes in postexposure state body dissatisfaction, anger, anxiety, and depression.
Results: Postexposure increases in state anger, anxiety, depression, and body dissatisfaction correlated with drive for thinness and disordered eating symptomatology in women, while postexposure increases in state body dissatisfaction correlated with muscle development in men. Analyses revealed that internalization and body comparison mediated these relationships, with trait body dissatisfaction, trait depression, self-esteem, and self-concept/identity confusion serving as mediators for women only. Conclusion: These results are indicative of gender differences in: (a) reactions to idealized bodies; (b) psychological traits that predispose individuals to experience these reactions; and (c) types of body change behavior that are associated with these reactions.

Stability of television viewing and electronic game/computer use in a prospective cohort study of Australian children: relationship with body mass index

Background
While much cross-sectional data is available, there have been few longitudinal investigations of patterns of electronic media use in children. Further, the possibility of a bi-directional relationship between electronic media use and body mass index in children has not been considered. This study aimed to describe longitudinal patterns of television viewing and electronic game/computer use, and investigate relationships with body mass index (BMI).
Methods
This prospective cohort study was conducted in elementary schools in Victoria, Australia. 1278 children aged 5–10 years at baseline and 8–13 years at follow-up had their BMI calculated, from measured height and weight, and transformed to z-scores based on US 2000 growth data. Weight status (non-overweight, overweight and obese) was based on international BMI cut-off points. Weekly television viewing and electronic game/computer use were reported by parents, these were summed to generate total weekly screen time. Children were classified as meeting electronic media use guidelines if their total screen time was ≤14 hrs/wk.
Results
Electronic media use increased over the course of the study; 40% met guidelines at baseline but only 18% three years later. Television viewing and electronic game/computer use tracked moderately and total screen time was positively associated with adiposity cross-sectionally. While weaker relationships with adiposity were observed longitudinally, baseline z-BMI and weight status were positively associated with follow-up screen time and baseline screen time was positively associated with z-BMI and weight status at follow-up. Children who did not meet guidelines at baseline had significantly higher z-BMI and were more likely to be classified as overweight/obese at follow-up.

Conclusion
Electronic media use in Australian elementary school children is high, increases with age and tracks over time. There appears to be a bi-directional association suggesting that interventions targeting reductions in either screen time or adiposity may have a positive effect on both screen time and adiposity.

The problem of obesity : is there a role for antagonists of the renin-angiotensin system?

Obesity is a major health problem worldwide; it is associated with more than 30 medical conditions and is a leading cause of unnecessary deaths. Adipose tissue not only acts as an energy store, but also behaves like an endocrine organ, synthesising and secreting numerous hormones and cytokines. Angiotensin II (ANG II) is the biologically active component of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). The RAS is present in adipose tissue and evidence suggests that ANG II is intimately linked to obesity. Indeed, ANG II increases fat cell growth and differentiation, increases synthesis, uptake and storage of fatty acids and triglycerides and possibly inhibits lipolysis. Evidence obtained using genetically modified animals has shown that the amount of body fat is directly related to the amount of ANG II, i.e., animals with low levels of ANG II have reduced fat stores while animals with excessive ANG II have increased fat stores. In humans, epidemiological evidence has shown that body fat is correlated with angiotensinogen, a precursor of ANG II, or other components of the RAS. Furthermore, blocking the production and/or actions of ANG II with drugs or natural substances decreases body fat. The decrease in body fat caused by such treatments predominantly occurs in abdominal fat depots and appears to be independent of energy intake and digestibility. Clearly, ANG II has an important role in the accumulation of body fat and the possibility exists that treatment of obesity will be enhanced by the use of natural or synthetic substances that interfere with ANG II.

Lupin (Lupinus albus) protein isolate (L-ISO) has adequate nutritional value and reduces large intestinal weight in rats after restricted and ad libitum feeding.

Background: A protein isolate from white lupin (Lupinus albus; L-ISO) has potential as a novel human food ingredient, but its nutritional effects are unknown.

Methods: We evaluated protein quality and effects on body composition in rats of isoenergic diets of L-ISO, lactalbumin, or casein with both restricted (10-day) and ad libitum (28-day)intake. The diets were equivalent in protein per se, but supplementation was used to balance essential amino acid levels.

Results: In both studies, the rats consumed similar amounts of each diet, and no effect of diet on the gain:feed ratio was observed--though gain:N ratio and net protein utilization were slightly lower for the L-ISO diet. Lower large intestinal weights after the L-ISO than after the lactalbumin diet were observed in both studies. The L-ISO diet resulted in lowered body fat percentage in the 10-day study but in an elevated level in the 28-day study. Liver composition (DNA, RNA, glycogen, and fat) and plasma levels of some amino acids (His, Thr, Ala, Pro, Tyr, Val and Met) were affected by diet, but no effects on plasma lipid, glucose, or uric acid were observed.

Conclusion: The L-ISO diet did not affect feed intake and has adequate nutritional quality in rats whilst modifying large intestinal weight in a potentially beneficial manner--suggesting potential for this protein in human nutrition.