Term Paper on "Impact of a High Fat High Calorie Diet on Depression Anxiety and Energy Levels"

Quoted Instructions for "Impact of a High Fat High Calorie Diet on Depression Anxiety and Energy Levels" Assignment:

I need some idears to write essay. This is what I thought about the 1st chapter: CHAPTER 1

Introduction

According to the World Health Organization, mental illness is the most encompassing and debilitating illness of all illness in America. (WOF, 2001). Depression is the most pervasive of the psychological disorders, characterized by a combination of symptoms that interfere with a person*****s ability to work, sleep, study, eat and enjoy previously-pleasurably activities. It is considered debilitating because episodes or attacks of the symptoms prevent the person form functioning normally. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which is the mildest classification of depression, has been known to affect many people at some point or another in their lifetime and generally goes away with the coming of spring and summer. SAD is generally not treated, because it will go away on its own. Manic-depressive illness, is one of the most severe forms of depression, characterized by cycling mood changes from extreme highs and dropping to extreme lows dramatically. The depression our study will be focused on examining is classified as major depression. The Fourth Edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders states that to diagnose depression, the subject needs to have five or more of the symptoms in a 2-week interval or depressed mood or loss of interest in pleasurable activities (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). The symptoms are depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure of pleasurable activities, significant weight gain or weight loss, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guild, impaired concentration, recurrent thoughts of death.

Depression causes loss of 44 billion people per year in the work force due to those showing up and not being productive and including those who do not show up at all as well. Of those diagnosed, 15% of them develop another disease such as diabetes, stroke, chronic disease, coronary artery disease, chronic arthritis, and Parkinson*****s disease. In addition, anxiety disorders often co-exist with depression. Depression co-occurring with depression is particularly common in people experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder. Alcohol and other substance abuse may also trigger depression. *****In fact, research has indicated that the co-existence of mood disorders and substance abuse is pervasive among the U.S. population. Research has yielded increasing evidence that treating the depression can also help improve the outcome of treating the co-occurring illness***** (*****Depression*****).

No single factor can be attributed to the cause of depression. Genetics, biochemical, environmental, and psychological factors are the most likely attributable triggers. Depression seems to have a greater effect on women than men. *****Biological, life cycle, hormonal and psychosocial factors unique to women may be linked to women*****s higher depression rate. Scientists are exploring how the cyclical rise and fall of estrogen and other hormones may affect the brain chemistry that is associated with depressive illness***** (*****Depression*****).

Prior to puberty, boys and girls are equally likely to develop depressive disorders. However, at the age of 15, female*****s likelihood increases to a striking double percent chance of experiencing a major depressive episode over males. Depression in adolescence occurs when both girls and boys are experiencing great social demands to form a distinct identity separate from their parents, grappling with gender issues and emerging sexuality, as well as making many first time decisions on their own. Depression in adolescence has often been seen with anxiety, disruptive behavior, eating disorders or substance abuse.

Eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, compulsive overeating and binge eating disorders. Bulimia, compulsive overeating and binge eating disorder are characterized by eventually periods of high fat and high calorie indulgences.

There haven*****t been any research studies on the effects of a high fat, high calorie diet on the influence of depression prevalence in young women. Our study looks to examine what the correlation is, if any, that the composition of diet would have on the gender and age group most susceptible to this pervasive and debilitating disease, adolescent women. In our study, we expect to see an increase in depression and anxiety with the consumption of a high fat, high calorie diet. We also expect to see energy levels decrease with this high fat and high calorie diet. By the year 2020, depression is expected to become the second leading cause of disease worldwide

Depression. (2008, April 2). National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved April 2, 2008, from USA.gov Web site: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/complete-publication.shtml

CHAPTER 3 METHODS

Sample

Subjects were recruited through public advertising to volunteer to participate in an 8-week in the study. They were screened to only include non-depressed women between the ages of 18 and 28-years of age with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9. None of the subjects have current psychological illnesses, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. All subjects completed a Health Status Questionnaire asking about health history, past anxiety experiences, and various family illnesses.

Procedure and design

We monitored the subjects***** diets upon consent of participation into the study. The subjects were fed all of their meals at the clinic, meeting the 35% fat content and 3500 calories range. Every Wednesday the individuals came in after their dinner meal and performed the various tests and self-assessments. Blood is drawn to measure serotonin levels and therefore their level of depression at the time. The 10-15 minute CES-D is given and tracked. The Beck Depression Inventory is recorded. Then, the STAI is recorded. The subjects are then asked to cycle on an ergometer for 30 minutes. The Talk Test, Target Heart Rate evaluation, and The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale to determine rates of energy level. This is repeated throughout the study, 8 weeks in length.

Independent Variable

Diet Measurement

Dependent Variable

Depression will be checked in three different ways: a neurotransmitter-level monitoring test, a symptom-based test, and a self-assessment test.

The amount of serotonin in the blood is a good indicator of normal and above normal thresholds of the key neurotransmitter linked to depression, serotonin. [I need to do more research on if you think we should include. It is what we had in our original procedure plans, which is the only reason I thought to include. I think it will make our study better if I can find a chart of some sort noting the levels of normal serotonin levels in non-depressed people.]

We will use the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Beck Depression Inventory. The CES-D is a self-reporting measure that*****¦*****¦ (include the remainder of this section from our draft)

In the Beck Depression Inventory patients are diagnosed as having a major depression if they have at least one core symptom such as depressed mood or loss of interest and at least four other symptoms. If a subject is diagnosed with minor depression, this means that they have at least one core symptoms and two additional symptoms, but a quantity of less than five.

Transient and enduring levels of Anxiety are measured with the STAI. In the STAI---which is what? Asked by Rob Pettay---the researcher asked the subjects how they felt at the moment or in the recent past or how they anticipated feeling in the future. It was designed to overlap between depression and anxiety scales by measuring anciety symptoms shared minimally with those of depression. Both physiological and cognitive components of anxiety are addressed in the 21 items describing subjective, somatice or panic-related symptoms. A cut-point of 39-40 indicates a state of anxiety (Knight et.al. 1983). The optimal mean sum score*****¦*****¦*****¦.(include the remainder of this section from text of our draft)

Energy levels were measured by evaluating the intensity in different levels of physical activity. Intensity will be measure using *****¦*****¦*****¦.(include the remainder of this section from text of our draft. )

Analysis

Not sure what statistical tests we will run. (*****How your data would be analyzed if actually collected.*****)

This essay should include:

Chapter 3- Methods

This section is the meat of the project. Here you will detail exactly how you plan on answering the question. The key issue in this section is are your methods clear enough to allow someone else to replicate your research? If not, the methods section is flawed.

Methods

This section will begin with a short introductory paragraph, much like the literature review.

This methods section will be divided into the following sections: sample, procedures and design, independent variable, dependent variable, and analysis

Methods

Sample : Clearly define the sample and how they will be recruited. Include in here a line about consent if using human subjects.

Procedures and design : Give a step by step description of what the subjects in this research will be doing. You might include a schematic, but the description should be thorough enough to allow someone to replicate the process

Methods

Independent variable : define each independent variable, and give a complete description of how they will be operationalized

Dependent variable : Give a complete description of the variable(s) and how they will be measured

Methods

Analysis : As we talk about statistical tests, you will need to determine (with my help), how your data would be analyzed if actually collected.

Chapter should begin with a short introduction. Hopefully you can help me out so I can write my paper.

Thanks