Why see overweight people makes us more, not less food (time.com)

Viewers of the biggest loser would probably agree that the weight loss show it nourishes with inspiration. The obese participants fight makes us motivated to eat better, exercise and lose weight. Turns out, this premise is only half right - at least according to a study that finds that people are actually more to see overweight can eat.

"See, someone, the overweight to a temporary decrease in a person takes his obligation or their health goal felt," wrote the authors study Margaret C. Campbell and Gina S. Mohr of the University of Colorado at Boulder (the by the way the most active city in the United States).

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But why? It has to do with the stereotype "Activation", says the study. If people attached are exposed to members of the groups that have, good or bad - stereotypes like fat people eat much, or Asians are good at math - they will likely act in a manner that corresponds to this stereotype. "For example," write the authors, "college students on general knowledge after exposure with Professor increases results questions, but reduced after exposure to a model." This is true, also, and even if the stereotypical behaviour is negative, if it goes against the person, the own values.

This theory is in line with a phenomenon that recent studies the "contagion effect" of obesity, which suggests have determined that people who fat have friends tend to gain weight. Political scientist at University of California, San Diego reported time on the ground-breaking study in 2007 by Dr. Nicholas Christakis, Professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and James Fowler,:

according to their analysis, if a study of participant's friend became obese, the first participant had 57% chance getting obese even. Pairs of people in which everyone identified the other as a friend when a person is overweight, the other 171% had likely following suit. "You are, what you eat is not the end of the story," says Fowler. "You are what you and your friends food."...

The obvious question is, why? Spouse sharing meals and a backyard, but the researchers found much smaller risk of weight gain - an increase of 37% - if one spouse was obese. Siblings sharing genes, but its influence also much smaller, each of other risk increased 40%. Fowler believes the effect has a lot to do more with social norms: who we are, if appropriate social behavior into account. With fat friends makes bold seem more acceptable. "Their spouse may not, that which you are to look decide the person, what kind of body image is installed, how much to eat or how much exercise," says Fowler. Nor do we necessarily compare us to our brothers and sisters. "We can choose our friends" says. "We understand you our to choose families."

(By the way, works the contagion effect also with weight loss, stop smoking, and happiness, Christakis and Fowler found.)

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The current study suggests, another reason for the effect - activation of social stereotypes versus confirmation of social standards - which means that you need not close social network people overweight on your behaviour affect. Even a glance of an unknown overweight person - that happens more than you probably find, bearing in mind that 67% of the US population meet the clinical definition of overweight or obesity - trigger behaviors such as overeating stereotype obesity could.

Campbell and Mohr together a series of five experiments to determine the impact of the mere sight of overweight people. In the first researchers recruited people go through a lobby on the campus, and showed them pictures of an overweight or normal weight women, or a lamp. The respondents, average age 25, were asked to evaluate photos for a future studies (a task Sham) and then self-help were allowed from a bowl of candy as "Thank you" for their time.

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Those who saw the photo of the overweight woman took significantly more candy (an average 2.2 piece) than those who saw the normal-weighted woman or the lamp (an average 1.5 units).

Subsequent attempts of the researchers involved in "cookie taste tests." Participants were overweight in the first experiment first with photos of people or primed normal weight or a neutral image such as a tree. Then they were presented to asked (but up to eight) cookies on a plate cookies by at least wine tasting. People who themselves saw pictures of the overweight woman ate significantly more cookies than those who were exposed to the thin woman. The difference stopped regardless of sex or weight of the participants.

Interestingly, however, certain factors which the fat was disturbed person induced eating. One was images of overweight people actually use food. Although participants ate more cookies by using simple portraits of overweight people see it, ate it less food obese displayed. The difference is that the former State only a stereotype - probably unconsciously - while the latter more clearly is a link between food and weight. "Weight for attention distracted by the person, it will be necessary,", the researchers write. ("" When a consumer considers membership (for example), "this person is overweight" stereotype), stereotype effect on... "Behave partially be can."

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Another way of researchers KEP people from eating more: simply they remember their own health goals. When study participants were asked to write about their health goals for three minutes (versus about their State of origin) before eating cookies, she ended up eating the same amount regardless of whether they a portrait of a woman, overweight or thin displayed.

The researchers, whose Studie of consumer research was published in the journal "the ?ndings of our research are consistent with the spread of obesity through social networks," Castle. "People see, close social bonds both personally and in photos, the people with whom they have." "If others include overweight are, our research suggests that stereotype activation to increased food consumption relative to the could lead if others are close healthy weight since only to see that someone can increase overweight food."

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The author's advice for staying on track: could receive admonition. Conscious personal health goals before the can sit down on your, please refrain from overindulging food to avoid.

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