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people the Biggest Loser would probably agree that watching the weight loss show fulfills the inspiration. Seeing the fight obese candidates should encourage us to eat better, exercise and lose weight too. Turns out, however, that premise is that the right half -. At least according to a new study concluding that people can actually eat more after seeing overweight people
"Seeing someone drives overweight a temporary reduction in own felt commitment of a person to the health goal, "wrote the study authors Margaret C. Campbell and Gina S. Mohr of the University of Colorado Boulder (which is d Besides the most active city in the United States).
But why? It has to do with the "activation" stereotype, the study says. When people are exposed to group members that stereotypes attached to them, good or bad - as people eat a lot of fat, or Asians are good at math -. they become more likely to act in a manner that is consistent with the stereotype "for example , "the authors write," the results of college students on general knowledge questions increased after exposure to a teacher, but decreased after exposure to a dummy. "This is true even if the stereotyped behavior negative, even if it goes against the human values.
( More about TIME.com: "Pregnancy diet of a mother can influence her unborn child weight?")
This theory falls in line with a phenomenon that recent studies have called the "contagion effect" of obesity, suggesting that people who have fat friends are more likely to gain weight too. TIME reported the seminal 2007 study by Dr. Nicholas Christakis, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and James Fowler, a political scientist at the University of California, San Diego:
According to their analysis when a friend of a study participant became obese, that first participant had 57% more likely to become obese themselves. In pairs of people in which each identified the other as a close friend, when a person became obese the other had a 171% more likely to follow suit. "You are what you eat is not the end of history," says Fowler. "You are what you eat and your friends."
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The obvious question is?. Why spouses share meals and a backyard, but the researchers found a much lower risk of gaining weight - a 37% increase - when one spouse became obese siblings share genes, but their influence, too, was much lower, which increases the risk of 40% of the other Fowler believes the effect has much more to do with social norms. we seek to considering appropriate social behavior. Having fat friends makes being fat seem more acceptable. "Your spouse may not be the person you look when you decide what kind of body image is appropriate, how much to eat or how much exercise, "says Fowler. And we do not necessarily compare to our brothers and sisters. "We can choose our friends," said. "We do not choose our families."
(Moreover, the contagion effect also works with weight loss, quitting smoking and happiness, Christakis and Fowler found.)
the current study suggests another reason for the effect - activation of social stereotypes with respect to the confirmation of social standards - which means you do not have overweight people in your social network near to influence your behavior. Even a fleeting glance of a person unknown overweight - which happens more than you may notice, given that 67% of the population of the United States meets the clinical definition of overweight or obesity. - Could trigger behaviors stereotypically as overeating overweight
( More on TIME.com: "Health-Washing :? Is 'Healthy' Fast Food for Real")
Campbell and Mohr developed a series of five experiments to determine the impact of the mere sight of an overweight person. In the first, researchers recruited people walking in a lobby on campus, and showed them pictures of a woman is overweight or normal weight, or a lamp. The respondents, average age 25, were asked to evaluate the photos for future studies (a fictitious task), then were allowed to use a candy bowl as a "thank you" for their time.
Those who saw the photo of the overweight woman took a lot more candy (on average 2.2 pieces) than those who saw the weighted normal woman or the lamp (on average 1.5 rooms ).
Subsequent experiments because researchers "taste tests cookies". As in the first experiment, participants were first primed with pictures of either the overweight or normal weight, or a neutral image as a tree. Then they were asked to assess the cookies by tasting of at least one (but up to eight) presented biscuits on a plate. People who looked at pictures of overweight woman eating a lot more witnesses than those who were exposed to the thinner woman. The difference held up regardless of sex or weight of the participants.
Interestingly, however, there were some factors that interfered with overfeeding induced fat person. In one case, using pictures of overweight people actually eat. Although participants ate more cookies after seeing overweight people simple portraits, they ate less when shown overweight people eating. The difference is that the first active condition only a stereotype - probably subconsciously - while the latter establishes a more open relationship between diet and weight. "It may be necessary to pay attention to be distracted person's weight," the researchers write. "If a consumer considers belonging to a stereotype (eg," this person is overweight "), the effect of stereotypes of behavior ... can be mitigated. "
( More on TIME.com: "Beware of the office candy bowl")
Another way researchers stopped people from eating more: simply remind them of their own health goals. When asked study participants to write for three minutes about their health goals (in relation to their country of origin) before eating cookies, they ended up eating the same amount regardless of they watched a portrait of a woman overweight or thin.
"The fi our research findings are compatible with the spread of overweight through social networks," concluded the researchers, whose study was published in the Journal of Consumer Research. "people see in person and in photos, the people with whom they have close social ties. When other nearby are overweight, our research suggests that the activation of the stereotype could lead to an increase food consumption compared to when others nearby are from a healthy weight simply see someone overweight can increase the power. "
back to the Biggest Loser . The show helps healthier behaviors in rapid viewers can depend on which segment they watch. If you just tuning in to the end of weighing show, maybe not. But if you also look at the competitors eating and exercise for weight loss, it might actually be a good motivation.
Advice authors to stay on track: be aware. Consciously think about your personal health goals before starting to eat can help to refrain from overindulging.
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