Health
According to a new study, dieters become irritable and angry.
The effort we put into maintaining self-control when eating food can lead to an aggressive mood and even a preference for more violent movies.
In the study, people who chose an apple over a chocolate bar were more likely to choose films containing aggression and the theme of revenge.
In another experience, participants who showed financial restraint by choosing a gift voucher for products over spa services were more likely to look at faces expressing anger rather than fear.
In a third experiment, dieters expressed a more favorable opinion about public policies that cause aggression, such as when reporting that if not increased funds for police training, then more criminals can escape from prison.
Finally, participants who chose a healthy snack over a tastier but less healthy snack were more likely to be annoyed by the seller's message, which sounded imperative.
The researchers decided to study whether efforts spent on self-control could lead to aggressive behavior and preferences.
The study found that self-control stress can actually make people behave more aggressively towards others, and dieters are known to be irritable and Short temper, say study authors David Gal (David Gal) from Northwestern University in Chicago and Wendy Liu from the University of California.
Public policy must become more cautious, recognizing the negative consequences of encouraging efforts to maintain self-control in daily choices.
Instead, behavioral interventions should be based on a broader range of methods for creating positive behavior towards long-term goals.