Pumping Up Willpower (Yes, It’s About Dieting)

Is willpower like a muscle, something that gets stronger the more it is applied? That’s the argument put forth by psychologist Roy F. Baumeister and science journalist John Tierney in their book, Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength. It’s also an argument that is explained here by Suzanne Koven, a primary care internist at Massachusetts General Hospital, whose blog is published on Boston.com/Health. Koven reports that in one experiment cited by Baumeister, a group of college students instructed to focus on standing up straighter for two weeks did better on tests requiring persistence and self-discipline than peers who had not worked on improving their posture–evidence, in her mind, that willpower can be strengthened with repeated use. Inevitably, at this time of year, Koven applies the thesis to dieting, and warns that willpower has also been shown to be a commodity that can be depleted. “Many studies have shown that when people try for too long and too intensely to control themselves, or control themselves in too many different ways at once (quitting smoking and dieting at the same time, for example) their willpower tends to wane,” she writes. “This is particularly true when blood sugar levels are low.” Koven’s advice for the new year? Ditch overly restrictive diets, plan occasional indulgences, stabilize blood sugar levels by eating frequent small meals, and limiting quickly metabolized refined sugar and flour, and avoid exhaustion and excess stress. Read more from Suzanne Koven.