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Statistics on weight gain in the U.S. can give the impression that it is happening everywhere, to everyone, and in every season of the year. The best science on the subject, however, reveals that weight gain primarily occurs in a smaller and predictable set of circumstances. Surprisingly, these circumstances frequently defy conventional beliefs about how and when weight gain occurs. For example, working adults yearn for weekends, purportedly for greater recreation, yet research shows that we become less active and gain more weight on weekends versus weekdays (1). Similarly, schools often receive criticism for their role in childhood obesity – usually directed towards school lunch quality and lack of PE classes – yet longitudinal data indicate that the strongest predictor of a child developing obesity during their school years is being overweight before entering kindergarten (2) and that fitness declines and weight increases are more common during the summer months instead … [Read more...] about The Science of Holiday Weight Loss And Weight Maintenance

Introduction Faculty, residents, and students at my university are participating in the Disney Plus Dream Job to watch 30 Disney films in 30 days. Welcome to our Day #11 blog post! Course directors successfully incorporated the 30 films (and shows) into our preexisting curriculum that teaches psychiatry to future physicians through film and other aspects of popular culture. Views Through the Psychiatrist’s Lens will publish daily blogs throughout the Disney Plus Dream Job challenge. Our eleventh blog is on the 1994 film, The Santa Clause.    Synopsis After Scott Calvin reads The Night Before Christmas to his son, Charlie, and tucks him in for a long winter’s nap, he hears a clatter on the roof. When Charlie wakes Scott up to investigate, their jolly intruder falls from the roof resulting in Scott assuming the role of Santa Claus. At the time of this posting, the film holds a rating of 6.4 out of 10 on IMDb and a … [Read more...] about Disney Plus Dream Job: The Santa Clause

On May 13, 2019, I quit nicotine completely. I had been compulsively vaping (using an electronic cigarette) for about four years. I was intermittently smoking cigarettes, using nicotine gum, and trying to find any way to quit altogether. I read scores of articles about how to quit. Some encouraged nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) like gum, patches, or lozenges, while others swore by total abstinence and quitting cold-turkey. The anxiety that was wrapped around the possibility of quitting was paralyzing. I would talk myself out of it day by day, swearing that I would do it eventually. As the days passed, the anxiety didn’t lessen. As the weeks passed, my will to quit did not grow stronger. As the years passed, my self-efficacy slowly drained. Then, one day, with seemingly no catalyst or precipitating event, the decision was as clear as day. It was time. Granted, it did not feel like the right time. I had 100 reasons why it was absolutely not the right time. For whatever … [Read more...] about 6 Steps to Quit Vaping or Smoking

Source: Kavan Cardoza/Flickr I was in my college library reading about the downsides of mind-wandering. My mind began to wander. I drifted to thoughts about upcoming assignments, weekend plans, and pending summer internship applications. Suddenly, I realized I was experiencing the very issue I was learning about. We often have a hard time getting out of our own heads and being present in the moment. Research suggests mind-wandering may be detrimental to our happiness. Moreover, studies show it also has harms on our concentration, memory, and even our ability to read! Luckily, there are ways to get out of our minds and return to Earth. One solution is to savor the moment. In a study on happiness, researchers found that savoring good feelings boosts the emotional impact of positive events. People who savored good moments were happier than those who did not. But what good is savoring good feelings if we’re too busy thinking about other things to notice them? Many of us have a … [Read more...] about The Solution to Your Mind Wandering Problem

Source: Irina Kozorog/Shutterstock Fear plays a huge role in shaping who we become. It affects the decisions we make, the actions we take, and the outcomes we achieve. Where we live, who we live with, what we do for a living, who our friends are, how big our house, our salary, or our family is, has at one point or another been influenced by fear. Fear signals threat, and as a result, it leads to avoidance. Avoidance, in turn, translates into evading challenges and missing opportunities for learning and growth. Eventually, it could lead to social isolation, professional stagnation, spiritual lethargy, and chronic dissatisfaction with life. But the fear I am referring to in this context is not the biological, amygdala-based, stimulus-response fear that we experience when we see a snake or a spider. Nor is it the pathological fear associated with clinical phobias that, unfortunately, a considerable proportion of people suffer from. The fear I refer to … [Read more...] about 12 Common Fears That Keep Us Stuck