Reconceptualization of Eating Addiction and Obesity as Displacement Behavior and a Possible Treatment

Mapping Intimacies ◽

10.21203/rs.3.rs-995213/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Robert A Pretlow ◽

Suzette Glasner

Keyword(s):

Displacement Component ◽

Action Plans ◽

Displacement Mechanism ◽

Compulsive Overeating ◽

Problem Situations ◽

Behavioral Mechanism ◽

Displacement Behavior ◽

Displacement Based ◽

User Friendly ◽

Mechanism Component

Abstract Purpose: Displacement behavior is a bio-behavioral mechanism that allows an animal to deal with situations that cannot readily be faced nor avoided, or that are thwarting. It may explain compulsive overeating (eating addiction). Resembling addiction, displacement behavior is irrepressible behavior that is contextually inappropriate, e.g., sleeping or feeding when threatened by a predator, or binge eating in response to a work altercation. It is thought to be due to rechanneling of overflow brain energy to another drive (e.g., feeding drive) when two drives, e.g., fight or flight, equally oppose each other. Moving the opposing drives out of equilibrium, by resolving the person’s underlying problem/stressful situations, theoretically should mitigate the displacement mechanism and addictive overeating. Methods: We developed a mobile phone intervention targeting addictive overeating, including a displacement mechanism component. A displacement use subgroup (N=37) ages 14-24 with obesity (mean BMI= 38.1) identified life situations they could neither face nor avoid, or that were thwarting them, and developed action plans to address each situation. Feasibility and acceptability were evaluated. Results: Participants found the displacement component to be understandable and user-friendly. The majority (26/37 – 70%) used the core “Dread List” feature to input 90 individual dreaded/problem situations fueling displacement-based overeating, coupled with action plans to address each problem. Conclusion: The displacement mechanism may be a useful basis for treatment of eating addiction and obesity, and may provide individuals with hope that they can curb their addiction without relying on willpower to not overeat. A randomized trial evaluating the displacement intervention is planned.

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332 What’s causing obesity in pets and what can we do about it?

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skaa278.119 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽

pp. 65-66

Author(s):

Robert Pretlow

Keyword(s):

Social Isolation ◽

Action Plan ◽

Addictive Behavior ◽

Stressful Life ◽

Displacement Mechanism ◽

Behavioral Mechanism ◽

Novel Theory ◽

In The Wild ◽

Displacement Behavior ◽

Brain Energy

Abstract The majority of dogs (56%) and cats (60%) are now overweight or obese. A novel theory posits that obesity in pets is due to “treats” and excessive meal amounts given by the “pet-parent” to obtain affection from the pet, which enables “‘eating addiction” in the pet and results in pet-parent “co-dependence.” The pet-parent may even become hostage to the treats/food to avoid the ire of the pet. Eating addiction in the pet appears related to stress/conflict, involving the displacement mechanism, which is a bio-behavioral mechanism in the brains of all animals, even fruit flies. It allows the animal to deal with situations that cannot readily be faced or avoided or are thwarting, such as social isolation. Displacement behavior is out-of-context, irrepressible behavior, e.g. an animal in the wild who sleeps or feeds when threatened by a predator. It is thought due to re-channeling of overflow brain energy to another drive (e.g. feeding drive) when two drives, e.g. fight or flight, equally oppose each other. Moving the opposing drives out of equilibrium, by resolving the animal’s stressful life situations, theoretically halts the displacement mechanism and addictive behavior, e.g. overeating/obesity. Similarly, dealing with the pet-parent’s stressful life situations curtails displacement regarding overfeeding the pet. Treatment for each contribution to companion animal obesity will be presented: Pet-parent seeking affection from the pet by giving food treats, which induces and subsequently triggers displacement overeating in the pet -- > Treatment is pet-parent withdrawal/abstinence from treat-giving. Displacement of pet-parent’s stressful life situations by feeding the pet. The received affection induces and subsequently triggers further treat-giving by the pet-parent. -- > Treatment is developing an action plan for each of the pet-parent’s stressful life situations. Begging, annoyance, aggression, and hostage state of the pet. -- > Treatment is “tough love” by the pet-parent.

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Strengthening health security: an intuitive and user-friendly tool to estimate country-level costs

BMJ Global Health ◽

10.1136/bmjgh-2018-000864 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. e000864 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Rebecca Katz ◽

Ellie Graeden ◽

Stephanie Eaneff ◽

Justin Kerr

Keyword(s):

Capacity Building ◽

International Health ◽

Action Plans ◽

International Health Regulations ◽

Cost Estimates ◽

Health Security ◽

Country Level ◽

User Friendly ◽

Health Regulations

Member States of the WHO working to build capacity under the International Health Regulations (IHR) are advised to develop prioritised, costed plans to implement improvements based on the results of voluntary external assessments. Defining the costs associated with capacity building under the IHR, however, has challenged nations, funders and supporting organisations. Most current efforts to develop costed national action plans involve long-term engagements that may take weeks or months to complete. While these efforts have value in and of themselves, there is an urgent need for a rapid-use tool to provide cost estimates regardless of the level of expertise of the personnel assigned to the task. In this paper, we describe a tool that can—in a matter of hours—provide country-level cost estimates for capacity building under the IHR. This paper also describes how the tool can be used in countries, as well as the challenges inherent in any costing process.

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The Added Value of Graphical Input and Display for Electron Lens Design

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100179701 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (1) ◽

pp. 190-191

Author(s):

B. Lencova ◽

G. Wisselink

Keyword(s):

Flux Density ◽

Numerical Data ◽

Added Value ◽

Lens Design ◽

Step Size ◽

Magnetic Lens ◽

Flux Lines ◽

Fine Mesh ◽

Electron Lens ◽

User Friendly

Recent progress in computer technology enables the calculation of lens fields and focal properties on commonly available computers such as IBM ATs. If we add to this the use of graphics, we greatly increase the applicability of design programs for electron lenses. Most programs for field computation are based on the finite element method (FEM). They are written in Fortran 77, so that they are easily transferred from PCs to larger machines.The design process has recently been made significantly more user friendly by adding input programs written in Turbo Pascal, which allows a flexible implementation of computer graphics. The input programs have not only menu driven input and modification of numerical data, but also graphics editing of the data. The input programs create files which are subsequently read by the Fortran programs. From the main menu of our magnetic lens design program, further options are chosen by using function keys or numbers. Some options (lens initialization and setting, fine mesh, current densities, etc.) open other menus where computation parameters can be set or numerical data can be entered with the help of a simple line editor. The "draw lens" option enables graphical editing of the mesh - see fig. I. The geometry of the electron lens is specified in terms of coordinates and indices of a coarse quadrilateral mesh. In this mesh, the fine mesh with smoothly changing step size is calculated by an automeshing procedure. The options shown in fig. 1 allow modification of the number of coarse mesh lines, change of coordinates of mesh points or lines, and specification of lens parts. Interactive and graphical modification of the fine mesh can be called from the fine mesh menu. Finally, the lens computation can be called. Our FEM program allows up to 8000 mesh points on an AT computer. Another menu allows the display of computed results stored in output files and graphical display of axial flux density, flux density in magnetic parts, and the flux lines in magnetic lenses - see fig. 2. A series of several lens excitations with user specified or default magnetization curves can be calculated and displayed in one session.

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A Review of 21 iPad Applications for Augmentative and Alternative Communication Purposes

Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication ◽

10.1044/aac21.2.60 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 60-71 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Ashley Alliano ◽

Kimberly Herriger ◽

Anthony D. Koutsoftas ◽

Theresa E. Bartolotta

Keyword(s):

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Alternative Form ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Text To Speech ◽

Reference Guide ◽

Expressive Communication ◽

Communication Needs ◽

User Friendly ◽

Ipad Applications

Abstract Using the iPad tablet for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) purposes can facilitate many communicative needs, is cost-effective, and is socially acceptable. Many individuals with communication difficulties can use iPad applications (apps) to augment communication, provide an alternative form of communication, or target receptive and expressive language goals. In this paper, we will review a collection of iPad apps that can be used to address a variety of receptive and expressive communication needs. Based on recommendations from Gosnell, Costello, and Shane (2011), we describe the features of 21 apps that can serve as a reference guide for speech-language pathologists. We systematically identified 21 apps that use symbols only, symbols and text-to-speech, and text-to-speech only. We provide descriptions of the purpose of each app, along with the following feature descriptions: speech settings, representation, display, feedback features, rate enhancement, access, motor competencies, and cost. In this review, we describe these apps and how individuals with complex communication needs can use them for a variety of communication purposes and to target a variety of treatment goals. We present information in a user-friendly table format that clinicians can use as a reference guide.

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