Weight loss marketing may have some strange and unintended consequences. New research from the University of Illinois suggests that campaigns promoting exercise may actually cause people to eat more.
“Viewers of the exercise messages ate significantly more (than their peers, who viewed other types of messages),” said psychology professor Dolores Albarracín, who led the research. “They ate one-third more when exposed to the exercise ads.”
Phrases such as “join a gym” or “take a walk” had the averse effects on people in the study.
These phrases were juxtaposed to opposing words like “make friends” or “be in a group.” Researchers found that these phrases didn’t have the same effect.
This study further builds upon previous research by Albarracín that suggests fitness messaging can have unintended side effects, some negative.
(via: Science Daily)