I've been seeing a lot of Studies cited on the board recently. Which started me thinking on the subject of the homework:

How many of your "lifestyle" habits have been caused by the fact that there is a study out there proving its true?

For example, I know a lot of people journal, some of whom do because of a study that claims that people who journal keep the weight off.

List the habits that you have started because of a study:

eg:

Journaling-study proves it helps keep the weight off
Stopped drinking milk/started drinking milk

For me, I don't really do this, although I try to watch my sat fat a teensy bit. I go for a common-sense approach to healthy eating, everything in moderation. I do tend to use studies as "bolsters" with my family, to say "eating breakfast helps lose weight" or some such thing.

If a lot of your behaviors are focussed on doing what "studies" say work, take a look at them and see if they are really working for you, or if they are making you obsessive.

Maybe try stopping one of the behaviors for a week?

Catherine

I don't really start or stop anything because of studies. The only exception that I think fits is that I quit using echinachea and other herbal supplements because of some negative reactions that were supported in a study that I saw around the time I started reacting.

I journal for mental health reasons, not diet reasons. I struggle with depression as it is, and right now my work situation is so bad that my physical health is being affected, so the journaling is one step in a group of them that I am trying to keep up with so that I won't end up in the hospital.

I eat pretty much what fits into a healthy diet, and eat other stuff in moderation. If it has staying power (like whole grains) I may eat more because I hate feeling like I eat 15 times a day. As it is, I eat 5-6 small meals each day. But I don't eliminate any type of food (ie dairy, which is being targeted right now) because of what it may or may not do.

I figure I might as well enjoy my life, because life is too short to worry about what may or may not happen. Any illnesses that develop are not going to do so because I ate or drank any specific kind of food. And I'm not going to prevent them because I have eliminated a specific type of food from my diet.

But that is just my own opinion.

Laura

I journal, for a variety of reasons...my brain thinks much better when I can put it in words and read it. I don't have a very good memory and don't remember what we had for dinner last Monday unless I can look it up. If I had a particularly bad week, I can go back and check to see what I ate, how I felt, what was going on. If I have a great week, I can use it again in a slump. Is there a study about journalling? Didn't know that one.

I exercise, because I have been told, have read here, and know from experience that 30 minutes of moving for me,(if not more) makes me feel better. The weight leaves faster, my blood sugars are lower. I know there are studies that show this, and good ones at that. But if there weren't any studies, I'd still do it, because it feels good.

I drink my milk and eat calcium products because they too lower my blood sugar and help me loose weight faster. I was pleased to see that there is a study that supports this, but I like milk and milk products, always have. I drink it because it's better than soda for me.

I do what I feel is best for me. I make the healthiest choices possible at all times and in all circumstances for me, no one else. And usually, my body, mind and soul tell me if I am doing the right thing for me.

PS I also check to see who conducted the study AND who has published (or NOT published) the study. If a study has been rejected by the Lancet or JAMA - some people immedediately think conspiracy - but I tend to think that there is some flaw with the study.

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A few studies that have influenced me:
1. I started logging food because of studies or research. It doesn't work for some people, but it works for a lot of people... and I fall in with the majority.

2. Studies on weight training or strength training. I'm old enough... women didn't do weights or strength training in school. I remember Kenneth Coopers research on areobics in the 70's and was sold on that. It took reading a few studies to convince me of the benefits of strenghth training for health and weight loss.

3. The benefits of eating a MINIMUM of 5 fruits/vegs a day.

quote:

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Originally posted by cate:
If a lot of your behaviors are focussed on doing what "studies" say work, take a look at them and see if they are really working for you, or if they are making you obsessive.

Maybe try stopping one of the behaviors for a week?

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I think that most people naturally stop behaviors that don't work for them... ie the death of Low Carb or Ultra Low Fat. There are studies that show that Dr. Dean Ornish's diet for reversing heart disease has some sound science behind it... but doesn't work in many/most peoples life styles... and thus they were not able to maintain the behavior.

I don't think there is any point in stopping a healthy behavior - unless, like you say, it is an obsession... but then by definition... an obsession isn't healthy...

I don't know that I do anything BECAUSE of a study, but often feel affirmed because of one.

I drink water, I try to expend more calories than I take in, I eat breakfast, I try to eat 5-7 fruits and veggies each day, keep the sugar and fat and sodium low, and I drink my milk - 2 glasses per day.

I keep thinking about the studies that resulted in cyclamates being taken out of my mother's Tab. In the end it would have taken megamegamega doses to give the cancer reported.

Nutritional science in general is rooted in biology, chemistry and scientific studies.

In general, I try to do what makes intuitive sense - eat less than I burn to lose, eat a wide variety of minimally processed, natural, organic foods, etc... I do watch my fat and sugar intake as I have a family hx of heart disease and diabetes.

I don't follow fads or things based on one small study. I need hard scientific proof! (That's my biology background coming through).

I don't know that I have STARTED behaviors because of studies, but certainly some studies have confirmed that behaviors that I was already doing were positive and helpful, so it gave me motivation for continuing them. For example:

I had been journalling my food, exercise and emotions via fitday.com when I first started my journey and stopped within 2 months because it became too much of a time drain. A few months later, after reading in "Thin for Life" that it had been proven that people who journal are more successful at weight maintenance than those who don't, I started journalling again January 1 of this year using the "Thin for Life Daybook" and have never stopped.

I have always been a breakfast eater, so studies showing that eating breakfast is beneficial confirms that this is a good thing to do.

I can't really think of anything that I have started doing because of a study, but it's certainly possible there are some, and I have been doing them so long that I no longer associate them with a study.

I love studies... But, I also take a lot of them with a grain of salt. Some studies are done with only 11 people... Some studies are funded by the milk industries... Some studies are funded by vegan organizations and different groups want the the studies to prove their own agendas...

Some studies are very scary sounding... but a lot of people can't do the math to get a really good handle on the information. For example, to read that drinking 3+ glasses of milk a day DOUBLES your chances of getting ovarian cancer, sounds VERY scary.

Ovarian cancer is not one of the really common cancers. Looking at the ovarian study... about 2 woman in 451 in the study got it. Compare that to the number of people who get heart disease... which I think is 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 or something like that. If your chances of getting a disease are very small... and you double the chances... your chances are still very small.

Too much fat, sugar, dairy, green beans... too much of ANYthing is not good for a person... There are benefits (either physical or emotional) to eating fat, sugar, dairy, green beans in moderation. Just need to evaluate the risks and benefits.

But statistics and studies HAVE helped me change or behaviors or confirm that I am on the right track. I'm kind of obsessed with health right now... but I don't think that I got that way because of a study.

Studies prove that 30-60 mins of exercise a day is very beneficial... but, I really don't think that I will stop for a week! Especially, THIS week!!!

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