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August 02, 2005

This Article Speaks the Truth

New diet aid—the power of suggestion?
Study suggests people can be persuaded certain foods make them sick

WASHINGTON - It might be possible to talk a dieter into hating strawberry ice cream, but it may be impossible to help people lose their cravings for more popular snacks such as chocolate chip cookies, researchers said Monday.

A study on the power of suggestion found that people could be falsely persuaded that they had once become sick eating strawberry ice cream as children -- and they later said they would avoid this food*.


*Amazingly this very thing happened to me, circa 1979, having imbibed three pitchers of Kamikazees, a novel taste treat to me at the time. Arriving safely home, I found myself waking up first in a snow bank, then prone on the lavatory floor. I suffered there for about the next three days. I'm persuaded I'd become sick from the evil effects of said imbibery. (The veriest whiff of it has me teetering on the edge of nausea to this day.) I haven't touched that noxious and vile elixer since. I avoid it. Persuasion therapy works.

Posted by tree hugging sister at August 2, 2005 12:04 PM

Comments

The same goes for me, except it's tequila.

Posted by: The Real JeffS at August 2, 2005 12:08 PM

Roger that on the tequila. Well, to be clear, shots of tequila.

Margueritas are a different species entirely.

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at August 2, 2005 12:10 PM

How weird, Bingley! And all these years I thought it was...


SALMON LOAF


...that caused the violent reaction.

Posted by: tree hugging sister at August 2, 2005 12:27 PM

BLECH

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at August 2, 2005 01:08 PM

Ah yes. Tequilla. Once went to Tiajuana and had a $5 pitcher of Tequilla Sunrise. That was Friday night. Didn't get out of bed ('cept to make a trip to the head to puke or pee) until late Sunday.

Can't even stand the smell of it in Margaritas...

Posted by: Sharp as a Marble at August 2, 2005 01:19 PM

That Jose Tejas ain't no friend o' mine...

Posted by: Nightfly at August 2, 2005 02:26 PM

I have a thing against Seagrams 7. And also against cups sitting on airplane wings, which the first drink of that fateful night was made.

Posted by: Cindermutha at August 2, 2005 04:16 PM

Ooh, I forgot about Jello Shots...another bad experience.

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at August 2, 2005 04:42 PM

That's why they call it "To Kill Ya".

Personally? Yukon Jack, 500ml worth, shared with a friend...
Vile stuff.

Posted by: Major Dad at August 2, 2005 07:41 PM

Welcome Cindermutha and thanks for the memories. (Anytime you want to explain the cryptic 'airplane wings', friendly and sympathetic ears are listening...that's how we are around the Swilling.)

Posted by: tree hugging sister at August 2, 2005 07:43 PM

Yeah, I'm interested in that story as well...

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at August 3, 2005 01:19 PM