Researchers are taking the biscuit

I've been really busy so I thought I should have a 'Time Out', give myself a 'Boost' and write about this 'Topic'.

Just been reading about a study in the Metro online newspaper where participants were encouraged to think unhappy thoughts because, apparently, that makes them less likely to crave chocolate or other unhealthy foods.

I figured I should do a little research of my own on the story, so I went and asked a female friend what she thought of this story. She read a couple of lines of it and I noted her comment so I could refer to it in writing this blog. She said, "That's bollocks." She didn't have any other comments or say anything else about it before walking off.

The story refers to the study author Dr Juliano Laran, who's from the University of Miami. He said, ‘We found when people who are sad are exposed to pictures of indulgent food or words, their sadness highlights the negative consequences of indulging and encourages them to indulge less.'

I can't help thinking of Bridget Jones and the ice cream scene, where she's scoffing it down after the break up with either Hugh Grant or Colin Firth; can't remember which one. It didn't look like she was thinking about the negative consequences of getting a bit of Ben and Jerry's down her neck at the time. 

Now flip the research coin and you get the other side. Last year, the Daily Mail headline was 'Why we eat a whole tub of ice cream when we're sad.' Huh? Are these researchers serious? One lot say one thing, while the other lot say the opposite. One day you eat because you're having a bad hair day, and the next day, you don't eat but you're still having a bad hair day. I do believe the lady quoted above has a point.


And I do believe the researchers are taking the biscuit.