behaviour-related stories
Why Skinny People Don't Like Fat People: It's Evolutionary
As I sit down to work in the afternoon, I often have the TV blaring away in the background, and while most people would find it impossible to work in such conditions, I don't really like TV (especially daytime TV) so I find it easy to tune out. Over the past few weeks, I've listened with mild amusement to some old episodes of The Dr. Phil House, where opposites are pitted against one another in a blatant attempt at ratings. If you haven't seen it, it's a reality TV-style house that contains a fat guy who hates skinny people and a skinny girl who hates fat people, plus an array of other colorful combinations.
I do have a point here. A study shows that the skinny girl who hates fat people might not just be prejudiced -- it might be an evolved response. According to The Independent in Britain, when a slim person sees an obese person, their immune system is triggered because the brain relates site of the obese person to a fear of infection. Moreover, in a series of questions given to subjects, the people who exhibited disgust toward germs and bad hygiene were more likely to discriminate against someone based on their weight.
But regardless of whether it's a "natural" reaction, discrimination is still wrong, and I think being prejudiced is ultimately a learned behavior. What do you think?
I do have a point here. A study shows that the skinny girl who hates fat people might not just be prejudiced -- it might be an evolved response. According to The Independent in Britain, when a slim person sees an obese person, their immune system is triggered because the brain relates site of the obese person to a fear of infection. Moreover, in a series of questions given to subjects, the people who exhibited disgust toward germs and bad hygiene were more likely to discriminate against someone based on their weight.
But regardless of whether it's a "natural" reaction, discrimination is still wrong, and I think being prejudiced is ultimately a learned behavior. What do you think?
What did you NOT eat this week?
Diet & Weight Loss, Motivation
When you eat something 'bad', do you feel horrible and beat yourself up over it for hours, sometimes days? You're not alone -- I do too sometimes. We're always punishing ourselves, and self-punishment leads to shame, and shame leads to a lack of self-confidence and perhaps even to a food binge to make yourself feel better. Yikes! You don't want that, do you?
Here's an idea that I heard on a Canadian talk show this morning: Instead of thinking of yourself in terms of what you've done wrong, think of things you did right. What bad foods did you resist lately? Did you turn down a slice of birthday cake even though you wanted it soooooooooo badly? Did you just have one slice of pizza and not 3 like your stomach was telling you to? These are all actions that deserve to be rewarded.
What have you resisted lately?
Here's an idea that I heard on a Canadian talk show this morning: Instead of thinking of yourself in terms of what you've done wrong, think of things you did right. What bad foods did you resist lately? Did you turn down a slice of birthday cake even though you wanted it soooooooooo badly? Did you just have one slice of pizza and not 3 like your stomach was telling you to? These are all actions that deserve to be rewarded.
What have you resisted lately?
