Research shows you can ‘think yourself thin’

IT MAY be possible to think yourself thin, according to new US research.

Psychologists at Harvard University found that when women who did physically tough jobs were told of the potential health benefits of their exertions, they lost weight.

Those who were not aware that they were burning calories saw no change.

Researchers concluded the surprising results were due to the placebo effect, which is often observed in medical trials when patients who are unknowingly given dummy pills react as if they were taking the real drug.

The team studied 84 hotel housekeepers, telling half that their jobs would keep them healthy and even informing them of how many calories they were burning doing their tasks.

After four weeks, those who were told they were getting plenty of exercise at work had lost an average of two pounds. They lowered their blood pressure by almost 10% and had much healthier body-fat percentages, according to the study published in the journal Psychological Science.

Lead researcher, Ellen Langer, said it was all about shifting people’s mindsets.

“Whether the change in physiological health was brought about directly or indirectly, it is clear that health is significantly affected by mindset,” she said.