Psychological explanations for obesity, including restraint theory, disinhibition and the boundary model
Some psychologists explain obesity through the way people think about food and dieting. Trying too hard to restrict eating can actually trigger overeating, which may lead to weight gain over time.
Real World
Wardle and Beales (1988) put women on a strict diet and found they ate significantly more at a subsequent 'taste test' than non-dieters — directly demonstrating disinhibition in a controlled setting.
Exam Focus
When evaluating restraint theory, cite Wardle and Beales as supporting evidence and note that lab measures of eating may lack ecological validity.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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