Weight Loss and
"Learned Helplessness"
A Powerful Key To Life-Long Success
2004 by Dr. Frank
B. Smoot, MA, DD
www.CoachFrankSmoot.com
One of the most famous and most revealing experiments in the history
of psychological research involved something called "learned
helplessness." I don't have the room here to tell you as much about
it as I'd like to, but any Psychology 101 textbook will probably
cover the topic.
This is one experiment that offers extremely powerful insight
(for those willing to hear it) into the impact of learned behavior.
Although this experiment was conducted
using dogs as subjects, the discoveries apply to human behavior as
well. The core of the experiment revolved around setting up
unpleasant conditions from which the dogs were initially unable to
escape.
Eventually, they stopped trying.
They simply gave up and "accepted their
fate."
That was no surprise. Later, however, the same dogs were subjected
to the same unpleasant conditions under circumstances where the
means of escape was both obvious and easy. Yet the dogs -- now
"conditioned" to accept the unpleasantness -- made no attempt at all
to escape.
This came as quite a surprise
to the researchers.
But the real shocker came a bit later, when a new and
"unconditioned" group of dogs was put in with the conditioned ones.
The minute the circumstances became unpleasant, the same
easy-and-obvious means of escape was made available to all the dogs.
The new, unconditioned ones left
immediately.
But the conditioned dogs made not the slightest attempt to
leave their very uncomfortable circumstances -- even when they saw
the other dogs leaving from the very same pen that they, themselves,
were in!
So what does this have to do with your ability or inability to lose
weight?
Everything! First, it shows that
extremely self-sabotaging behaviors can be learned, and learned very
quickly under the "right" circumstances. Secondly, it shows that a
sense of helplessness can be maintained long after the circumstances
that first caused it have ceased to exist.
But most importantly, it shows that if we are conditioned to feel
helpless, we can fail to act in our own best interest even when the
opportunity for healthier action presents itself -- and even when
others around us are making progress right before our eyes!
What this means to you is that, if you are chronically overweight,
you almost certainly have been exposed to some disempowering
circumstances in your life.
Further, it means that, even though
those circumstances that made you feel helpless may be long gone,
you may still be acting -- reacting -- as if the threat or problem
still exists.
In other words, a small chunk of "bad
programming"
may be all that's keeping you overweight!
This landmark experiment also proved that maladaptive behaviors
(like those that may underlie your excess weight) can exist
indefinitely, and for no good reason.
The good news is, what was learned can be unlearned. But only if
your eyes are open! Until you can acknowledge the problem and seek
the solution, you have no choice but to suffer endlessly and
needlessly -- just like the poor, unfortunate dogs who "learned" to
be helpless.
Is that OK with you?
I didn't think so!
Yours in total health,
Dr. Frank
_______________________________________________________
Note To Web site Owners and E-zine Editors:
This article may be reprinted as long
all contents and the
resource box below are included and
remain intact.
Dear Friend - If you'd like to slash months, years,
or decades off the time it takes to
reach your personal goals,
or just get the truth for a change,
please visit my success coaching
web site at
www.CoachFrankSmoot.com or send me an email at
DrFrank@CoachFrankSmoot.com or just give me a call at
540-567-2050.
And don't forget to inquire about your FREE 30-minute "sample"
coaching session. Is it your turn for
success yet? If so, I'm ready
when you are! Yours in total
health, Dr. Frank B. Smoot, MA, DD
_______________________________________________________
Dr. Frank B. Smoot, MA, DD, is a professional weight loss
success coach and the creator of the "Get
Motivated For Life! /
7 Weeks To Lifelong Weight Loss"
and "Weight Loss God's Way"
success program (www.WeightLossGodsWay.com)