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How Your Sports Team Impacts Your Weight
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Which Impacts Your Weight More: Diet or Exercise?
You know you should exercise and eat healthfully to keep your weight in check. The thing is, research suggests that when people devote time to one healthy habit, they spend less time on the other. So which is more important if you’re worried about your waistline: your workout or your diet?
Turns out, people who think that diet is the most important factor in weight control tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who believe that exercise is the key, according to six new studies published in the journal Psychological Science.
In the studies, researchers asked a total of more than 1,200 people in the U.S., Canada, China, France, and South Korea about the main factor that makes people overweight. They also took participants’ height and weight measurements to calculate their BMIs. Interestingly, those who said it’s most important to stay active to prevent obesity had higher BMIs than the people who said eating right is the key to weight control.
As you might expect, people’s weight-control theories impacted their food choices. In two studies, when researchers offered participants unlimited chocolate, the people who said they think staying active is key to maintaining a healthy weight ate more.
“Our beliefs guide our actions,” says study co-author Brent McFerran, PhD, an assistant professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Think about it: If you think exercise is the key to weight control, you might move more and focus less on what you eat. While exercise can definitely support weight loss—and make you feel awesome, among other benefits—people tend to overestimate the amount of calories they burn while working out and compensate for the extra activity by eating more, says McFerran.
On the flip side, if you believe that eating a healthy diet is the best way to maintain your weight, you might worry less about exercise—but closely watch what you eat. And that’s smart, especially because most people grossly underestimate the amount of calories they consume, says McFerran.
The problem: Many people think they can work off extra pounds—but there’s a ton of scientific evidence to support the fact that changing your diet is a more effective way to drop weight, says McFerran. “If we eat a 3000-calorie lunch, nearly no one has enough free time in the rest of the day to exercise it off,” he says.
Luckily, McFerran’s best advice for weight control doesn’t take much time: Steer clear of foods that are high in calories, and trade large plates and bowls for smaller ones to ensure you fill them with more restrained portions.
That said, you should probably hold onto your gym membership, too. Although it’s tough to slim down with exercise alone, staying active does help with weight control—and it’s absolutely crucial for your health, says Keri Glassman, RD, a Women’s Health weight loss expert. Not only does exercise produce endorphins that increase your metabolic rate and motivate you to eat better—it also supports heart health, strengthens your bones, helps you sleep, decreases stress, and boosts mental health. All awesome reasons to hit the gym when you can!
photo: Brand X Pictures/Thinkstock
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The Disease That Impacts Nearly 1 in 4 Women
If you know four women, chances are one of them suffers from depression, anxiety, or another mental health issue. More than 45 million Americans battle mental illnesses each year, and women make up the majority of those affected, according to a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Representatives from SAMHSA conducted in-person interviews with a random nationally representative sample of over 65,000 Americans ages 12 and over. They extrapolated their findings to estimate that about 23 percent of adult American women experienced a mental illness last year, compared to 15.9 percent of American men. The survey also found that people who suffer from mental illnesses are more likely to struggle with substance abuse and dependence. Mental illness diagnoses include the most common mood disorders—depression and anxiety—as well as other disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, dementia. and Alzheimer’s disease.
Unfortunately, these rates are on par with SAMHSA’s last national survey in 2010. One likely explanation: people who need help don’t always get it. In fact, only four out of ten adults who suffer from mental illnesses were treated for it last year. That’s bad news, considering an estimated 8.5 million American adults have seriously considered suicide, 2.4 million made suicide plans, and 1.1 million actually attempted to end their lives in 2011, according to survey data. Additionally, people with depressive mental disorders are also more likely to develop chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and obesity, according to a 2005 review of over 100 clinical studies published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or dealing with emotional distress, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 911 for immediate medical help. Otherwise, find mental health services near you with this locator.
If substance abuse or addiction is affecting you or a loved one, call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for support, or locate a local substance abuse treatment center with this finder.
photo: Michael Blann/Digital Vision/Thinkstock
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How Your Mood Impacts Your Wallet
If you’re feeling blue, hide your green. According to new research published in the journal Psychological Science, sadness can lead to impulsive (and irresponsible) financial choices.
Study participants watched either a sad or neutral video. Then researchers asked them to choose how they’d like to receive a cash reward. They could either receive one sum of money at the end of the session, or receive a bigger reward mailed to them in the future. Participants who watched the neutral video chose the delayed reward 13 to 34 percent more often than people who watched the sad video, according to Jennifer Lerner, PhD, director of the Harvard Laboratory for Decision Science and one of the study’s authors. These differences emerged even though real money was at stake.
“Sadness makes people devalue future gains relative to present gains,” Lerner says. In other words, when you’re sad, you’re more focused on the now, rather than the future. You just want to be happy. You don’t care about what happens down the line.
“This process occurs unconsciously,” Lerner adds. “Decision makers themselves do not recognize that sadness has such effects.” Meaning: If you shop while sad, you could set yourself up for some potential wallet pain and not even know it.
Before you sprint to the mall this Black Friday—or Black Thursday in some places!—ask yourself these four questions to make sure you’re not being financially shortsighted.
Is it on my list?
Keep an ongoing shopping list of clothing, household items, and gifts you actually need. “The urge to impulse shop is very normal,” says Lauren Lyons Cole, certified financial planner, but if you give in too often, it can become dangerously expensive. Get in the habit of consulting your shopping list, and you’ll have fewer purchase regrets, Cole says.
Can I find a good dupe for it?
If there’s an expensive beauty or fashion product that you are really drawn to, try doing a Google search for the name of the product and the word “dupe”, which is fashion speak for look-alike, Cole says. Just to be clear, this is not a knockoff. It’s a similar-looking item that can save you some serious money. If you’re tackling this weekend’s sales, plan ahead by researching your top picks’ sale prices ahead of time while keeping an eye out for dupes.
Do I want this more than a ______ (insert big goal here, like “trip to Italy”)?
Little purchases might bring temporary satisfaction, but they can be a huge waste of your dollar bills. “Try carrying a picture of whatever your big goal is in your wallet, and when you’re tempted to impulse shop, use the picture to snap you back into reality,” Cole suggests. When you’re finally enjoying your goal purchase, you’ll be happy you skipped those impulse buys.
Is it returnable?
If you absolutely can’t talk yourself out of an impulse purchase, at least make sure it’s returnable. If you haven’t worn or used the item and the return date is near, you can be sure the purchase wasn’t meant to be. Warning: Don’t make this a habit or it’ll become seriously stressful keeping track of multiple items. Think of this as a once-in-awhile thing.
photo: Brand X Pictures/Thinkstock
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