A whopping 94 percent of Finnish people who lose weight are back to their original weight 10 years, according to a study published in the US National Library of Medicine Journal. Despite the popularity of exercise and dieting, these methods of weight loss rarely bring lasting results. A number of alternative weight loss strategies have been suggested with deferring results. Can simple psychological methods help people to lose weight?
The Vanilla Aroma Patch
Fragrances and smells are known to trigger memories or feelings and it is common for people to associate certain experiences with specific smells. For example, It is common to instantly feel hungry when you walk into a bakery and you are bombarded with the sweet smell of freshly baked pastry. Conversely, people who spend whole days cooking usually have diminished appetites by the time they serve lunch or dinner.This loss in appetite, commonly called the Christmas dinner syndrome, is thought to be a result of inhaling food aromas for long hours.
Dietitians at St. George’s Hospital in London investigated the possibility of using the Christmas dinner syndrome to help people to lose weight. They made a trial on 200 overweight volunteers. The volunteers were assigned to groups and members of one group were asked to wear a fragrant vanilla patch for a month. The members of the other groups were given lemon patches, placebo patches, or no patch at all. After one month, the individuals in the vanilla patch group lost more weight compared to individuals in any of the other groups. In this case, the ever-present vanilla aroma reduced the volunteers’ appetite for chocolates and similar high-calorie foods.
Eating Home-Prepared Meals
Eating out in restaurants is more likely to lead to weight gain compared to eating food prepared at home. A study in the UK found out that eating home-prepared meals is associated with healthier BMI figures compared to eating out. Researchers think that home-cooked meals are less likely to contain high-fat ingredients and people dining at home are less likely to have the pressure to finish the portion on the plate compared to those who dine in restaurants. Therefore, individuals who frequently eat out in restaurants can lose weight by simply eating similar meals but prepared in their homes.
Restaurant Lighting And Weight Loss
While dim lighting is treasured around the world for romantic dinners, it can also be a recipe for weight gain. A study published in the Journal of Marketing Research found that people who eat dinner in well-lit restaurant dining areas are up to 24 percent more likely to order healthy food compared to those who eat in dimly lit restaurant areas. According to the lead researcher in this study, people usually feel more alert and tend to make more healthful decisions in brighter rooms. You could, therefore, theoretically, lose weight by insisting on eating in well-lit restaurant areas whenever you eat out.
Weight loss is a moving target for a big number of people and many rely on diets and exercise to lose weight. The proportion of people who lose weight in the long-term using these common weight-loss methods is pitiable. There are a number of proven weight loss strategies that do not involve exercising or dieting. Carrying a vanilla patch, eating out less often, and avoiding dimly lit dining areas when eating out can help bolster your weight loss efforts.
