If obesity is a disease, is labelling it that way the cure?

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When the American Medical Association formally recognised obesity as a disease in June 2013, plenty of public health officials were thrilled for the increases in research, treatment, and prevention funding that would presumably arise as a result. But were people right to herald the labelling of obesity as a “disease” as something positive for public health? Or could this label have unintended negative consequences that could actually backfire?

Psychologists Crystal Hoyt, Jeni Burnette, and Lisa Auster-Gussman of the University of Richmond and the University of Minnesota were concerned that labelling obesity as a “disease,” a tactic that reduces perceptions of controllability, might have the unintended side effect of demotivating behaviours with the intended goal of losing weight. To examine whether or not this concern held any water, they conducted a series of studies that would determine if exposure to “obesity-is-a-disease” public-health messages negatively impacted nutritional choices. Participants in the experimental group always read a New York Times article detailing the AMA’s recent decision to categorise obesity as a disease, noting the benefits and drawbacks of this reclassification. Control group participants either read a message on “standard tips and tools” for managing weight loss or a message comprised from two pieces about how obesity should not be considered a disease.

After being exposed to these messages about obesity, the subjects were then shown a menu of possible sandwich options, and told to order one of the options from the list: The Italian (980 calories), Smoked Turkey Breast (360 calories), Roast Beef and Cheddar (700 calories), BLT (634 calories) or Vegetable Delight (230 calories).

The good news is that the AMA is right to celebrate the benefits that it has already touted; labelling obesity as a disease, in the experimental group, did lead obese participants to report higher levels of self-esteem and body satisfaction.

The bad news, however, is that this decision might have serious consequences for the public health goal of actually reducing the obesity rate. In both studies, obese participants opted for sandwiches with significantly more calories when they received the “obesity-is-a-disease” message than when they received either the standard information-based message or the “obesity-isn’t-a-disease” message.

Unfortunately, it is the very thing that makes the “disease” message desirable that also makes it a curse. Yes, treating obesity like a disease can help reduce stigma, increase body satisfaction, and aid self-esteem. Yet it is precisely these things that can undermine actual goal pursuit – in both studies, lower levels of weight-related concern and higher levels of body satisfaction actually predicted higher calorie preferences in obese participants (though the messages had no effect on the lunch preferences for the average weight individuals).

Intuitively, this makes sense. If you’re satisfied with yourself, what motivation is there to pursue any goals that involve personal change? This fits into a long history of literature on goal pursuit, which states that emotions and perceived discrepancies between “actual” and “ideal” or “ought” selves are the driving forces underlying motivation and goal pursuit. It’s not particularly hard to see why the labelling of obesity as a “disease,” which decreases perceptions of controllability or stigma, would increase obese individuals’ levels of body satisfaction – and it’s not particularly surprising to see why that could manifest in poorer nutritional choices.

However, as the authors note in their conclusions, it is critically important that research does not stop here. Body acceptance is an important societal movement, and the “thin ideal” has important and meaningful negative consequences as well. It would similarly be dangerous to suggest that we should ignore the importance of reducing stigma and increasing self-esteem, especially given (a) prior research showing that stigma reduction can actually help with goal engagement and (b) our societal focus on reducing bullying. After all, it is important not to be cruel.

Yet if the ultimate goal is actually to aid in public health efforts by incentivising good nutrition, we may not get there by comparing obesity to cancer.

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SOURCE:

BPS Research Digest by guest host Melanie Tannenbaum [https://twitter.com/melanietbaum], UIUC Social Psych PhD Candidate and Scientific American Blogger [http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/psysociety/].(8.6.14)

Hoyt CL, Burnette JL, & Auster-Gussman L (2014). "Obesity is a disease": examining the self-regulatory impact of this public-health message. Psychological science, 25 (4), 997-1002 PMID: 24463553

10 Psychological Effects of Nonsexual Touch

Psychological research on how a simple (nonsexual) touch can increase compliance, helping behaviour, attraction, and signal power.

To get around in the world, we mainly rely on our eyes and ears. Touch is a sense that’s often forgotten.

But touch is also vital in the way we understand and experience the world. Even the lightest touch on the upper arm can influence the way we think. To prove it, here are 10 psychological effects which show just how powerful nonsexual touch can be.

1. Touch for money

A well-timed touch can encourage other people to return a lost item. In one experiment, users of a phone booth who were touched were more likely to return a lost dime to an experimenter (Kleinke, 1977). The action was no more than a light touch on the arm.

People will do more than that though; people will give a bigger tip to a waitress who has touched them (Crusco & Wetzel, 1984).

(Stop giggling at the back there!)

2. Touch for help

People are also more likely to provide help when touched. In one study, strangers who were touched lightly on the arm were more likely to help an experimenter pick up things they had dropped (Gueguen, 2003). The percentage of people who helped went up from 63% to 90%.

3. Touch for compliance

The power of a light touch on the upper arm often extends more broadly to compliance.

In a study by Willis and Hamm (1980), participants were asked to sign a petition. While 55% of those not touched agreed to sign it, this went up to 81% of those participants touched once on the upper arm. A second study asked people to fill in a questionnaire. The same touch increased compliance from 40% to 70%.

4. Touch twice for more compliance

And you can increase compliance with a second light touch on the arm.

Vaidis and Halimi-Falkowicz (2008) tried this out when asking people in the street to complete a questionnaire. Those touched twice were more likely to complete the questionnaire than those touched once. The effects were strongest when men were touched by a female surveyor.

5. Or, touch for a fight!

However, the acceptability of touch, especially between men, depends a lot on culture.

When Dolinski (2010) carried out a compliance experiment in Poland, he got quite different results for men and women. In Poland men asked to do the experimenter a favour reacted badly to a light touch on the arm. This seemed to be related to higher levels of homophobia. Women, however, still reacted positively to touch.

6. Touch to sell your car

Unlike Poland, France has a contact culture and touching is acceptable between two men. So French researchers Erceau and Gueguen (2007)approached random men at a second-hand car market. Half were touched lightly on the arm for 1 second, the other half weren’t.

Afterwards those who had been touched rated the seller as more sincere, friendly, honest, agreeable and kind. Not bad for a 1-second touch. We can safely assume the results would have been quite different in Poland!

7. Touch for a date

You won’t be surprised to hear that men show more interest in a woman who has lightly touched them. But here’s the research anyway:Gueguen (2010) found men easily misinterpreted a light nonsexual touch on the arm as a show of sexual interest.

Perhaps more surprisingly women also responded well to a light touch on the arm when being asked for their phone number by a man in the street (Gueguen, 2007). This may be because women associated a light 1 or 2-second touch with greater dominance. (Bear in mind, though, that this research was in France again!)

8. Touch for power

Touch communicates something vital about power relationships.Henley (1973) observed people in a major city as they went about their daily business. The people who tended to touch others (versus those being touched) were usually higher status. Generally we regard people who touch others as having more power in society (Summerhayes & Suchner, 1978).

9. Touch to communicate

Touch comes in many different forms and can communicate a variety of different emotions. Just how much can be communicated through touch alone is demonstrated by one remarkable study by Hertenstein et al. (2006).

Using only a touch on the forearm, participants in this study tried to communicate 12 separate emotions to another person. The receiver, despite not being able to see the toucher, or the touch itself, were pretty accurate for anger, fear, disgust, love, gratitude and sympathy. Accuracy ranged from 48% to 83%.

To put it in context, that is as good as we can do when we can see someone’s face.

10. Massage for maths

So, if you can do all that with a touch, imagine what you could do with a massage!

Well, one study has found that it can boost your maths skills (Field, 1996). Compared with a control group, participants who received massages twice a week for 5 weeks were not only more relaxed but also did better on a maths test. Once again, witness the incredible power of touch.

Boring disclaimer

All of these studies rely on the touch being appropriate. Being touched can have quite different meanings depending on situation, culture and gender. Generally the touch referred to is a light touch on the upper arm—the safest place to touch someone you don’t know.

Also, research has identified a small proportion of people—both men and women—who don’t like to be touched at all during everyday social interactions. These people are not likely to respond positively in any of these situations.

SOURCE:

http://www.spring.org.uk/2011/04/10-psychological-effects-of-nonsexual-touch.php (accessed 8.6.14)

Πότε να το μεταφέρω από την κούνια στο παιδικό κρεβατάκι;

Η μετάβαση από την κούνια στο παιδικό κρεβατάκι αποτελεί ένα σημαντικό ορόσημο της ανάπτυξης κάθε παιδιού, αφού δηλώνει ξεκάθαρα ότι το μικρό σας μεγαλώνει και από βρέφος γίνεται σταδιακά νήπιο...

Η μετάβαση από την κούνια στο παιδικό κρεβατάκι αποτελεί ένα σημαντικό ορόσημο της ανάπτυξης κάθε παιδιού, αφού δηλώνει ξεκάθαρα ότι το μικρό σας μεγαλώνει και από βρέφος γίνεται σταδιακά νήπιο. Αν και δεν υπάρχει συγκεκριμένη χρονική στιγμή για αυτή την αλλαγή, υπάρχουν κάποιες ενδείξεις ότι το μικρό σας είναι έτοιμο για αυτό το βήμα:

Σκαρφαλώνει συχνά στο κάγκελο της κούνιας και προσπαθεί να βγει έξω. Είναι φανερό ότι το παιδό σας δεν «κρατιέται» πια πίσω από τα κάγκελα και είναι καλύτερα να του αλλάξετε κρεβάτι, για να αποφύγετε πιθανούς τραυματισμούς από πτώσεις. Δεν κοιμάται πλέον καλά μέσα στην κούνια. Αν έχει μεγαλώσει αρκετά είναι πιθανόν να μην βολεύεται μέσα στην κούνια ή να μην χωρά για να απλωθεί και να στριφογυρίσει όπως θέλει, με αποτέλεσμα ο ύπνος του να είναι ανήσυχος. Σας ζητά το ίδιο να αλλάξει κρεβάτι. Πολλά παιδάκια, ειδικά εκείνα που έχουν μεγαλύτερα αδελφάκια, εκφράζουν τα ίδια την επιθυμία τους να μετακινηθούν από την κούνια σε κανονικό κρεβάτι, οπότε καλό θα είναι τους κάνετε το χατίρι.

Είναι φανερό ότι η μετάβαση εξαρτάται από το ίδιο το παιδί και την ετοιμότητα του, γι’ αυτό μην πιέσετε το παιδί να αλλάξει κρεβάτι, αν δεν θέλει, γιατί έτσι το μόνο που θα κερδίσετε είναι πολλά ξάγρυπνα βράδια και πολλές νυχτερινές επισκέψεις του μικρού στο δικό σας κρεβάτι.

Αν ,όμως,περιμένετε ένα καινούριο μωρό και η αλλαγή πρέπει να γίνει αναγκαστικά, φροντίστε να την κάνετε αρκετούς μήνες πριν γεννήσετε, έτσι ώστε το παιδί να μην αισθανθεί ότι το καινούριο αδελφάκι του παίρνει το κρεβάτι του.

Για να βοηθήσετε το παιδί σας να συνηθίσει το καινούριο του κρεβάτι, μπορείτε:

Να το τοποθετήσετε, αν γίνεται, στο ίδιο σημείο του δωματίου που ήταν και η κούνια. Να συνδυάσετε την αλλαγή με μια αλλαγή στη διακόσμηση του δωματίου, π.χ. μια νέα κουρτίνα ή καινούρια αυτοκόλλητα στους τοίχους. Να αγοράσετε μαζί με το παιδί τα σεντόνια και τις κουβέρτες για το καινούριο κρεβάτι. Να του υπενθυμίζετε τρυφερά πόσο μεγάλωσε και πόσο σημαντικό είναι αυτό που κάνει. Να διατηρήσετε την καθημερινή ρουτίνα ύπνου, που είχατε και πριν.

ΠΗΓΗ:

http://women.gr.msn.com/mother/kids/%CF%80%CF%8C%CF%84%CE%B5-%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CF%84%CE%BF-%CE%BC%CE%B5%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%86%CE%AD%CF%81%CF%89-%CE%B1%CF%80%CF%8C-%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%BD-%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%8D%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%B1-%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF-%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%B9%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C-%CE%BA%CF%81%CE%B5%CE%B2%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%AC%CE%BA%CE%B9-1 (accessed 8.6.14)

10 φωτογραφίες στο άδειο παιδικό δωμάτιο

Γονείς που μαθαίνουν να ζουν χωρίς παιδιά

Οι γονείς είθισται να ζουν μια ζωή με διαρκείς μεταβάσεις. Μαθαίνουν σε έναν βίο με συνεχείς αλλαγές – στη συμπεριφορά ενός ανθρώπου υπό διαμόρφωση- και συγκρούσεις για κάθε πιθανό λόγο, ανάλογα με την ηλικία του παιδιού. Και μαθαίνουν να ζουν με ένα ή και περισσότερα δωμάτια μέσα στο σπίτι να μην τους «ανήκουν».

Όμως έρχεται η στιγμή που όλα αλλάζουν. Ξαφνικά εκείνη η πόρτα, που τόσες φορές έκλεισε στα μούτρα του πατέρα ή της μητέρας, κλείνει σιγά και από το πόμολο. Οι φωνές από το δωμάτιο δεν ακούγονται πια και δεν χρειάζεται να φωνάξεις για να χαμηλώσει η μουσική. Μπαίνεις μέσα και είναι τόσο άδειο αν και γεμάτο με αντικείμενα «αναμνήσεις».

Γονείς χωρίς παιδιά έψαξε και βρήκε η φωτογράφος Ντόνα Σβάρτς και τους φωτογράφισε στο δωμάτιο του παιδιού που έχει φύγει από το σπίτι. Η ίδια αναφέρει ότι δεν βιώνουν όλοι οι γονείς το «Σύνδρομο της άδειας φωλιάς» με τον ίδιο τρόπο και τονίζει ότι δεν είναι μόνο η μητέρα που νιώθει έντονα την έλλειψη.

ΠΗΓΗ:

http://www.athensvoice.gr/article/city-news-voices/%CE%B8%CE%B5%CE%BC%CE%B1/10-%CF%86%CF%89%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%86%CE%AF%CE%B5%CF%82-%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF-%CE%AC%CE%B4%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%BF-%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%B9%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C-%CE%B4%CF%89%CE%BC%CE%AC%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BF (accessed 8.6.14)

This is How Much Happier Therapy Makes You Than More Money

Money can buy happiness, as long as you spend it on therapy.

Money.

You need enough to live, but loads of it doesn’t make you that much happier.

It’s something we’ve all heard — whether it’s from psych studies or rich people — but do we behave as though it’s true?

I sometimes wonder.

To help convince our inner Mr Burns, here’s a nice statistic from a study done by researchers at the Universities of Manchester and Warwick, who compared the happiness gains from money to that gained from psychological therapy (Boyce & Wood, 2009).

They found that therapy was 32 times as cost effective as money in making you happier.

They reached this figure by looking at thousands of people who’d started therapy and compared them with others who’d had large increases in their income.

It turned out that to get the same increase in happiness from $1,300 spent on therapy, a person would have to get a mammoth pay rise of $42,000.

Hardly likely, right?

The study’s lead author, Chris Boyce, said:

“Often the importance of money for improving our well-being and bringing greater happiness is vastly over-valued in our societies.

The benefits of having good mental health, on the other hand, are often not fully appreciated and people do not realise the powerful effect that psychological therapy, such as non-directive counselling, can have on improving our well-being.”

If this is true, why are many governments so obsessed with economic growth and apparently so little concerned with mental health?

Take the Chinese, for example, who are getting much richer, but no happier. That’s just one of many, many examples.

Although economic growth in many major economies is less dramatic than in China, the effects on happiness are about the same: zilch, or close enough.

Any idiot knows the answer to this one: it’s because money makes the world go round, world go round, world go round…

And yet it makes me think we’re all idiots for nodding our heads sagely that money can’t make you happy, then off we all go to put in another 12 hour day, or whatever it is.

Think how much happier the world would be if, instead of annual pay rises or bonuses, we were all sent off to talk to a sympathetic stranger for a few hours.

SOURCE:

http://www.spring.org.uk/2014/06/this-is-how-much-happier-therapy-makes-you-than-more-money.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PsychologyBlog+%28PsyBlog%29(accessed 5/6/14)