A NEW YEAR, NEW HABITSIf you’re one of the millions of Americans who made a resolution to lose weight and improve your health in 2012, you’ll be interested in a report that appeared earlier this week in the Los Angeles Times. In a story headlined “Habits Can Change When People Associate a Cue with a New Task,” health writer Jeannine Stein cited a study in which 96 people adopted a new healthful habit over 12 weeks. Those habits included everything from running for 15 minutes at the same time each day to drinking a glass of water or eating a piece of fruit at lunch. Researchers found it took an average of 66 days to develop a new habit. They also found that the more consistent participants were more successful, while the more erratic performers were less so. The 2009 study, published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, underscores what the doctors and nurses at Lindora have been teaching for more than 40 years: consistency matters, and the best way to conquer unhealthy habits is to retrain your brain and replace those old habits with new, healthier ones. In her article, Stein also cites a fascinating study coauthored by David Neal, former USC psychology professor, and Wendy Wood, USC provost professor of psychology and business. Moviegoers in the study were given popcorn to snack on while watching trailers. Participants were divided into two groups: those who typically ate popcorn at the movies and those who didn’t. Some in each group were given fresh popcorn, while others were given stale popcorn. Those who didn’t have a movie-popcorn habit ate less stale popcorn than fresh, yet people who were avid popcorn-eaters ate the same amount of stale popcorn as fresh. For those in the habit of eating popcorn at the movies, it didn’t matter whether or not the popcorn tasted good. Once we’ve formed an eating habit, the researchers concluded, we no longer care whether the food tastes good. The study, recently published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, underscores the undeniable power not only of habits, but of environmental cues. They can be so strong that we are inclined to do things—like eating stale popcorn—simply because we’re conditioned to do so rather than because we actually enjoy it. After all, who really enjoys cold, spongy, stale popcorn? Dr. Stamper has long said that dieters don’t fail because of lack of willpower. His clinical experience has proven that success is less about willpower than it is about substituting new patterns of behavior in response to environmental cues. Consistent responses over time become habits, and once habits are developed, they’re hard to break. I know a woman who loves movies and loves popcorn, but she also loves maintaining the 42 pounds she lost last year at Lindora. She tells me she always chews a fresh stick of gum as she enters the movie theater. I have another friend who makes a point of having a protein snack and getting to the theater 20 minutes early so she can take a short walk before buying her ticket. Over time, these seemingly small choices—and changes—can make a real difference. In my next blog, I’m going to introduce you to a woman who is developing new habits and a new attitude as she begins her quest to lose 100 pounds in 2012. Stay tuned—and Happy New Year! Posted : 01/18/2012
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