Want to lose weight? Watch others eat junk food, say researchers

One evening, at home. You’re sat comfortably on the sofa, watching your favourite TV show. An ad comes up, showing a scrumptious burger in its full glory. The camera zooms into each ingredient: the crisp salad; the tender meat; the rich, creamy sauce; the crunchy French fries, and one person enjoying this delightful flavour range. You think to yourself that your diet is about to take a hit. But we beg to differ.

In a series of studies published in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, we found advertisements showing people eating junk food prompted people on a diet to eat less. While this may seem counterintuitive, these findings are in line with previous research on mental imagery. Recent studies show merely imagining ourselves carrying out actions or experiencing emotions activates similar neural networks to those linked with their actual performance or experience.

Imagining ourselves eating

The images we are exposed to throughout our lives hold the power to shape our experiences to a remarkable degree. According to neuroimage studies, the mere sight of someone being hit by a hammer will fire up the neural networks in our brain that are associated with pain. As a result, these images will trigger emotions and behaviour consistent with feelings of pain.

Such effects also extend...

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