News by Subject Social & Behavior

New research warns that the normalisation of 'plus-size' body shapes may be leading to an increasing number of people underestimating their weight - undermining efforts to tackle England's ever-growing obesity problem. Analysis of data from almost 23,460 people who are overweight or obese revealed that weight misperception has increased in England. Men and individuals with lower levels of education and income are more likely to underestimate their weight status and consequently less likely to try to lose weight.

New research shows that highly anxious individuals exert more cognitive control when they make a risky decision compared with less anxious individuals. This in turn leads to less risky decisions.

Researchers led by Mark Rasenick in the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, describe the molecular mechanisms behind ketamine's ability to squash depression and keep it at bay. They report their findings in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

Body dissatisfaction among women is widespread and can lead to a number of worrisome outcomes, including eating disorders, depression and anxiety. While researchers know a lot about what makes women's body image worse, they are still short on empirically supported interventions for improving women's body image. Northwestern psychology professor Renee Engeln tested the effect of three specific writing exercises on college women's body satisfaction, along with co-author Natalie G. Stern.

Setbacks are to be expected when pursuing a goal, whether you are trying to lose weight or save money. The challenge is getting back on track and not giving up after a difficulty or crisis, says an Iowa State marketing professor working on practical ways to help people stick to health-related goals.

The World Desertification Atlas by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre provides the first comprehensive, evidence-based assessment of land degradation at a global level and highlights the urgency to adopt corrective measures.

A year of schooling leaves students with new knowledge, and it also equates with a small but noticeable increase to students' IQ, according to a systematic meta-analysis published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Taking a walk may be a good opportunity to mentally review your to-do list, but using the time to instead be more mindful of your breathing and surroundings may help boost your wellbeing, according to researchers who found that while students reported being less stressed while they were on their feet and moving, they received an even greater benefit when they reported also being more mindful.