There are times when studies get over-interpreted.\u00a0 I think this is one of those times.<\/p>\n
With food, temptation may be a good thing<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – While dieters often banish tempting foods from their kitchens, a new study suggests that keeping some sweet treats around might be a good way to build willpower.<\/em><\/p>\n
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In three tests that presented female college students with tempting foods, researchers found that the women exerted greater self-control when they had previously been confronted with a sweet treat they had access to — rather than just pictures or smells.<\/em><\/p>\n
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The implication, say the researchers, is that challenging yourself to resist temptation may be more effective than banning all sweets and snack foods from the house.<\/em><\/p>\n
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“The main message is that banishing food temptations may not be the best way to limit the amount eaten. Tempting foods can actually increase willpower,” explained lead author Kelly Geyskens, an assistant professor of marketing at the Lessius Hogeschool in Antwerpen, Belgium.<\/em><\/p>\n
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It may seem counterintuitive to keep a food “threat” around, and dieters are often advised to keep junk food out of the house, noted Geyskens. But, she told Reuters Health, the idea is that tempting foods help trigger a person’s “self-control strategies.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
LOL, sorry Doc, but I know quite a few people who understand that\u00a0keeping food “threats” around virtually guarantees that they’ll be eaten.\u00a0 The reason “dieters are often advised to keep junk food out of the house” is\u00a0because it helps.\u00a0 Keeping junk out of the house is – in and of itself – part of the process of developing self-control.<\/p>\n
One obvious thing that’s missing from\u00a0this report\u00a0is an awareness that there’s a difference between a short term, highly artificial experiment, and real life.\u00a0 Lots of people can resist temptation in the short term.\u00a0 Having it present 24\/7 is often another matter.<\/p>\n
The reality\u00a0is that food temptations can never\u00a0be “banished” completely…this is a straw man argument.\u00a0 Unless you go into self-exile on an abandoned desert island, there will always be tempting things in your immediate environment.\u00a0 Thus, just living in the real world – where there are restaurants and bakeries and holidays\u00a0and office treats and parties – is quite sufficient\u00a0to experience “self control conflict” and\u00a0opportunities to develop\u00a0willpower.\u00a0 I completely agree that “self control can be trained” – but keeping crap in the house and then willing yourself to not eat it is hardly the best way to begin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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