PSYA02H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 14: Body Mass Index, Coronary Artery Disease, Childhood Obesity
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PSYA02H3 Full Course Notes
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Health psychologists -> researchers who study both the positive and negative effects that humans" behaviour and decisions have on their health, survival, and well-being. The need for health psychologists has increased considerably over the last century, as most premature deaths today are attributable to lifestyle factors. People are more likely to die from tobacco use, alcohol use, obesity, and inactivity today. Our physical and mental well-being are connected to the health decisions that we make. One of the most widely studied health behaviour is tobacco use. Smoking cigarettes causes life-shortening health problems including lung, mouth, and throat cancer; heart disease; and pulmonary diseases such as emphysema. 21% of all deaths in canada over the past two decades were due to smoking-related illnesses. Life expectancy of the average smoker is between 7 and 14 years shorter than that of a nonsmoker. This number depends on upon how much, and for how long, a person smoked.
