Originally published August 15 2005
Losing weight by the power of suggestion
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Scientists have found that just by using the power of suggestion to convince people that they do not like certain foods, people can experience some weight loss.
As every weight-loss veteran knows -- and too many parents of overweight kids are learning--the most fattening foods are often the most comforting, conjuring up memories of sweet treats and celebrations.
That's why there was so much interest last week in a report out of the University of California, Irvine that suggests a new approach to thinking about food: brainwashing.
Loftus is famous in psychological circles for her controversial work investigating claims of child and sexual abuse.
To test that thesis, Loftus and her assistants gave 131 students a questionnaire about their food preferences and experiences.
Members of one group were told, falsely, that at some point in their childhood strawberry ice cream had made them sick.
The researchers then encouraged the students to elaborate, asking them where they were when they got sick and who else witnessed the episode.
When questioned later about which foods they wanted to eat, 41% of this group said they would avoid strawberry ice cream.
"What we've shown is that we can plant a false belief or memory, and that has consequences in terms of what we choose to eat," says Loftus.
She showed similar results in the vegetable section of the food pyramid, giving people a taste for asparagus by conning them into thinking that they liked it as children.
Loftus doesn't know yet; she's still trying to figure out how long these effects last.
But, she says, "nothing would stop a parent of an overweight child from trying this out on their kid"--as long as parents don't expect miracles.
Weight control, after all, involves a devilishly complex combination of genes, biology and the environment.
But every little bit helps when you are dieting--even the power of suggestion.
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