Overweight people may be able to lose 10 times more weight using “Functional Imagery Training” (FIT) than those treated using “motivational interviews” (MI) alone, shows a new study led by Linda Solbrig, a PhD researcher at the University of Plymouth in the UK. FIT refers to an approach that uses mental imagery to motivate behavior change.
The FIT group involved dieters boosting their motivation levels through visualizing how great things would feel, taste and smell, and how much better one might look, if one were thinner, and another group receiving MI therapy alone. The results showed that the FIT dieters lost 6.44kg and 9.1cm off their waists after a year, while MI dieters only lost 0.67kg and 2.46cm off their waists on average.
In recent years, mental imagery techniques have also commonly been used by athletes to improve their performance. Several years ago, a similar study, conducted by Ohio University in the US, found that such imagery exercises can prevent the loss of muscle strength after a period of nonuse.
Photo: Nien hsiang-wan, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者粘湘婉
(Eddy Chang, Taipei Times)
一項新研究宣稱,體重過重者若接受「功能性想像訓練」(FIT),減重效果比接受傳統「動機訪談」(MI)者高十倍!該研究由英國普利茅斯大學的琳達索布利博士所主導,「FIT」是指以內心想像激發行為改變的原理。
想像組為了加強動機,讓減肥者設想他們變瘦後的觸覺、味覺,嗅覺,和外貌會有多棒;訪談組則進行傳統談話治療。結果顯示想像組減重者一年後瘦了六點四四公斤、腰圍減少九點一公分,但訪談組減重者平均僅瘦了零點六七公斤、腰圍減少二點四六公分。
近年來,運動員們藉由內心想像來提升表現的方法亦相當常見。幾年前,美國俄亥俄州大學的一項類似研究甚至發現,此種想像活動還可防止長時間未使用的肌肉變得衰弱。(台北時報張聖恩)
A: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses is touring Taiwan tomorrow. What about pop diva Lady Gaga? B: Unfortunately, Singapore has once again exclusively secured Gaga’s concerts in Asia, just like Taylor Swift’s exclusive Asian shows last year. A: The Singaporean government reportedly paid up to US$2.2 million to secure Swift’s shows. B: And the shows did boost its economy and tourism. A: But I’m angry about this approach, so I’m not going to Gaga’s shows this time. A: 硬式搖滾天團槍與玫瑰明天即將來台,流行天后女神卡卡呢? B: 真可惜,新加坡再度取得卡卡亞洲巡演的獨家主辦權,就像去年泰勒絲的亞洲獨家演出一樣。 A: 據報導新加坡政府付出高達220萬美元,取得泰勒絲的亞洲獨家主辦權。 B: 而她的秀也的確提振了該國的經濟和旅遊業。 A: 但我對此還是很不爽,所以不去新加坡看卡卡了! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張迪)
A: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses and pop diva Lady Gaga are finally touring Asia again. B: Are they also coming to Taiwan? A: The band will stage a show at the Taoyuan Sunlight Arena on Saturday. B: Wow, so this will be the band’s third visit. I really love its 1992 power ballad “November Rain.” The nine-minute hit was the Billboard chart’s longest song at one point. A: Let’s go celebrate the 40th anniversary of its release. A: 硬式搖滾天團槍與玫瑰、女神卡卡終於再度展開亞洲巡演了。 B: 他們也會來台巡演嗎? A: 槍與玫瑰本週六即將在桃園陽光劇場開唱唷。 B: 哇這將是該團第三次來台演出,我超愛他們1992年強力情歌《November Rain》,全長近9分鐘還曾是告示牌排行榜最長神曲。 A: 那我們一起去慶祝該團出道40週年吧! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張迪)
Every May 1, Hawaii comes alive with Lei Day, a festival celebrating the rich culture and spirit of the islands. Initiated in 1927 by the poet Don Blanding, Lei Day began as a tribute to the Hawaiian custom of making and wearing leis. The idea was quickly adopted and officially recognized as a holiday in 1929, and leis have since become a symbol of local pride and cultural preservation. In Hawaiian culture, leis are more than decorative garlands made from flowers, shells or feathers. For Hawaiians, giving a lei is as natural as saying “aloha.” It shows love and
If you could nominate any toys for the Toy Hall of Fame, what would they be? Iconic playthings like yo-yos, toy cars, or video games seem like obvious __1__. Classic toys such as jacks, playing cards, and board games like Chess, Monopoly, and Uno have brought endless joy to generations. Overall, there are countless toys that __2__ in the Toy Hall of Fame. The National Toy Hall of Fame was __3__ in 1998 at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. The Toy Hall of Fame aims to __4__ items that have been cherished for generations, and several