Goal Priming in Dieters: Recent Insights and Applications

Overview

Journal Curr Obes Rep

Specialty Endocrinology

Date 2012 May 22

PMID 22611522

Citations 4

Authors

Esther K Papies

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

What are the psychological mechanisms that make dieting so challenging in our food-rich living environment? Social psychological research on goal priming provides a useful framework for answering this question, as well as implications for how to enhance dieting success. This review presents and discusses recent research which shows that attractive food cues prime the hedonic eating goal in dieters, and thus facilitate overeating. However, external cues priming the goal of weight control can be used to offset these effects and thus to facilitate dieting success, as is demonstrated in both field and laboratory experiments. In addition, recent strategies to prevent hedonic effects of attractive food, such as mindful attention, can facilitate self-regulation. These recent advances in our understanding of dieting behavior have theoretical and practical implications for how successful dieting can be facilitated, both by means of individual strategies, as well as by environmental changes.

Citing Articles

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Pre-exposure to Tempting Food Reduces Subsequent Snack Consumption in Healthy-Weight but Not in Obese-Weight Individuals.

Stamos A, Goddyn H, Andronikidis A, Dewitte S Front Psychol. 2018; 9:685.

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Addressing people and place microenvironments in weight loss disparities (APP-Me): Design of a randomized controlled trial testing timely messages for weight loss behavior in low income Black and White Women.

Clark D, Srinivas P, Bodke K, Keith N, Hood S, Tu W Contemp Clin Trials. 2018; 67:74-80.

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Choosing between an apple and a chocolate bar: the impact of health and taste labels.

Forwood S, Walker A, Hollands G, Marteau T PLoS One. 2013; 8(10):e77500.

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