Health and Human Nature

Small change, big payoff

Kristen A. Carter M.S.

Do We Know When We Are Being Tempted?

Our environment is loaded with temptation. How can we prevail?

Are Your Goals Making You Miserable?

Comparing ourselves to others is a natural tendency that can lead to discouragement.

Time-Restricted Eating: An Antidote to Fast Food Culture?

Time-restricted eating may be healthier and more effective for weight loss than engaging in the complexities of calorie restriction.

Can You Trust Yourself?

Can we trust ourselves to make good health decisions? Research shows that our brains often keep us stuck in old assumptions and beliefs.

Using Self-Care to Motivate You

There is a deep disconnect between how we think of exercise and eating well and what is actually motivates us to incorporate them into our lives.

How to Stop Hating Exercise

How can we get people to stop dreading or avoiding exercise?

Rewriting the Rules for Health-Related Changes

Unfortunately, when weight loss and more exercise are the goals, current models frame the process as adherence to a set of rules.

Why People Don’t Take Doctors' Advice

Often a visit to our family doctor puts us in anticipation of getting advice about improving our health. Whether that advice is taken depends on many factors.

Finding the Self-Control to Lose Weight

Individuals hoping to lose weight often ask themselves if they have enough motivation and willpower. But it’s a change of focus that matters.

Solving the Mystery of Weight Loss Failures

When we attempt to lose weight and exercise more, often we hit a logjam. See what research says is getting in the way.

Eliminating the Stress of Dieting

What is the secret to losing weight and keeping it off? It’s not following a diet—it's developing autonomy over the process.

Why We Underestimate What We Eat

We often “sugar-coat” exactly what and how much we eat. Are we lying or in denial? Understanding what is going on can help us switch to healthier eating habits.

What Causes Food Cravings?

Where do our pesky food cravings come from, and how can we get rid of them?

How Love of Novelty Gets in the Way of Our Health

How often does trying something new sabotage our healthy-eating efforts? More often than we think, research suggests.

Does Being Told to Lose Weight Actually Help?

The idea of trying to lose weight can make many people cringe. Getting a doctor’s advice doesn't always help. Here’s what could change that.

Taming the Emotional Side of Eating

One of the most common issues related to weight regain after a diet is the inability to handle emotional eating. Here’s what the research says can help.