The goal to lose weight is the most popular New Year’s resolution, as more than two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
一项新研究发现, 媒体所提供的一些指责肥胖者的信息可能会让他们的体重有增无减。这些信息把超重者看成懒惰、意志薄弱和自我放纵的人，认为他们会导致医疗成本的增加。那些认为自己超重的女性在看了有关指责肥胖者的文章之后，控制自身饮食的能力会下降。
However, before launching into a new diet, caveat emptor, as some new findings by University of California - Santa Barbara researchers suggest many directives may be counterproductive.
研究表明，文章和广告中所暗示的肥胖症只和人的自控能力有关的这种消息，会使体重超重的人感到更加无助，从而更加无法控制自己的饮食。
In a new study, psychology professor Dr. Brenda Major discovered that the weight-stigmatizing messages presented by the media —the ones that characterize overweight individuals as lazy, weak-willed, self-indulgent and contributing to rising health care costs —may be tipping the scales in the wrong direction. Major believes that some of the approaches may actually lead to weight gain.
研究人员指出，如果有关减肥方面的信息能够把重点放在良好的健康和身体锻炼上，而不是关注体重和体重指数，那么所收到的效果将会更好。