November 16, 2006, 7:11 PM CT

Dieting Or Exercise

Those in their 50s and 60s who want to lose weight might consider heading to the cardio workout room instead of counting calories, suggests new research out this month.

Both those who dieted and those who exercised lost a significant amount of weight, according to findings from an NIH-funded study on whether a calorie-restriction diet can extend lifespan. However, while exercisers maintained their strength and muscle mass and increased aerobic capacity, those who dieted lost muscle mass, strength and aerobic capacity.

"Exercise-induced weight loss provides the additional benefit of improving physical performance capacity," says Edward Weiss, Ph.D., lead author and assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University's Doisy College of Health Sciences.

"If push comes to shove and somebody wants to know if they should diet or exercise to lose weight, I would suggest exercise, provided they are willing to put in the extra time and effort and not offset the gains they make by eating more".

Weiss is a part of a Washington University team of scientists who studied healthy 50- to 60-year olds whose body mass index was between 23 and 30, placing them at the high end of normal weight or overweight.

Of the 34 study participants, 18 dieted and 16 exercised to lose weight.........

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November 13, 2006, 8:45 AM CT

Diskette Handbag from Fractalspin

This whimsical little handbag, made by Zelle and available at Fractalspin, is a bit of a surprise. From a distance, what you see is a black bag with interesting metallic shapes forming an eye-catching pattern. Up close, you notice that it's made of recycled computer diskettes (12 genuine 1.44 MB diskettes, to be exact). A magnetic latch holds the two sides together at top (though it doesn't close the opening all the way). For a different look, you can remove the latch and take out the bottom liner to convert it into a slim bag you can hold close to your body.

The label on the bag suggests that you "allocate interior pockets to manage internal fragmentation." There are five interior pockets -- 2 with snaps, two elasticized, and one zippered) -- for your cell phone, iPod, credit cards and cash, lipstick, etc. The main compartment is big enough to hold a book, a pack of tissues, a hairbrush, candy. "Available memory: 17.28 MB." Gimmicky, yes, but super cute. It's $65 on the Fractalspin website.........

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November 10, 2006, 4:59 AM CT

Shopping With Your Heart

Going with your "gut feeling" when making a major purchase isn't a bad thing after all, says Queen's University School of Business researcher Laurence Ashworth. In fact - contrary to popular belief - listening to your heart when shopping can make you happier in the long run.

And emotion can play just as big a part when purchasing a house or a car as when buying a bottle of shampoo.

The results of a series of studies, reported in the recent issue of the Journal of Consumer Research, suggest that people make "affective" purchases - based on their emotional reaction to a product - even when there is clear information suggesting an alternative product is better.

And surprisingly, such choices can lead to greater long-term satisfaction for important purchases.

"This is the first time that longer lasting positive effects of using emotions in important purchase decisions have been shown," says Dr. Ashworth, an expert in consumer behavior. "In such instances, emotions make a lot of sense. People feel them for good reasons, not just inherent biases, and they can actually lead us to more satisfactory choices in the long run."

Co-authors with Dr. Ashworth on the paper are Peter Darke of UBC and Amitava Chattopadhyay of INSEAD in France. Funding comes from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada and R&D INSEAD.........

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November 7, 2006, 7:37 PM CT

Would you see James Bond 21?

A fascinating new study from the recent issue of the Journal of Consumer Research is the first to conceptualize sequels as the movie equivalent of brand extensions. As per traditional branding research, extension evaluations improve when the extension is perceived to be similar to the parent brand. However, Sanjay Sood (UCLA) and Xavier Drze (University of Pennsylvania) find that the effect of similarity reverses when it comes to movies. In comparison to numbered movie sequels, the scientists observed that named sequels performed better at the box office and had a longer shelf life.

"With intangible experiential goods, similarity is not valued because people tend to satiate on experiences," explain the authors. "In other words, consumers prefer sequels that are markedly different from the original movie because they do not want to see the same movie twice".

Each movie released by a Hollywood studio is a brand that has to be packaged and promoted effectively to consumers. Launching these brands is an expensive activity. In 2004, the average cost of bringing a movie to market was almost $100 million. With financial stakes so high, the studios have turned to sequels as a way to capitalize on the success of hit movies.

Two experiments demonstrate that the name of the sequel is an important indicator to potential moviegoers about the similarity between original and sequel. The scientists compared sequel evaluations for a numbered title (e.g., Daredevil 2) versus a named title (e.g., Daredevil: Taking it to the Streets). Evaluations improved with named sequels because numbered sequels were perceived to be too close to the original movie. In fact, for numbered sequels, consumers were not only quicker to judge the sequel but also less able to recall details about the sequel's storyline.........

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November 7, 2006, 7:17 PM CT

Why We End Up Spending More

Ever go to a store intending to buy one item, only to leave with a cartful? Or walked out of a store after feeling you had been overcharged for something you needed? A groundbreaking new paper in the recent issue of the Journal of Consumer Research is the first to comprehensively outline "spillover effect" that is, the tendency for consumers to spend more on a shopping trip when something they were planning to buy is deeply discounted. Similarly, an unanticipated price increase, or a decrease in quality, on a planned purchase causes overall spending to go down.

"Results from two laboratory studies show that spillover effects can occur in response to both positive and negative changes in either the price or quality of a product," write Narayan Janakiraman (University of Arizona), Robert J. Meyer (University of Pennsylvania), and Andrea C. Morales (Arizona State University). "Positive changes increase total spending on other items and negative changes reduce it".

Positive surprises, like a sale on something you were planning to buy anyway, inflated overall purchasing. But both unexpected price increases and decreases in quality caused people to buy fewer discretionary items and to pass up other goods offered at attractive, discounted prices.

This challenges previous research on the effect that suggests that we mentally budget and react to feelings of diminished or increased wealth by shopping accordingly. Instead, based on their findings, the scientists argue that a more consistent root of "spillover effect" is attribution theory and our desire to reward or punish the retailer for shopping surprises.........

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November 6, 2006, 8:45 PM CT

Tiffany Silver Coffee Bean

The Handbag.com win a gorgeous gift every day from now up until Christmas competition continues and today you have the chance to win this fab Tiffany silver coffee bean necklace. And what better Christmas present could you wish for, a silver necklace as has been spotted around the necks of a number of a celeb including Linda Evangelista, Liz Hurley, Cindy Crawford and Elle Macpherson!!

Just think you could be unwrapping this great Christmas giveaway, valued at pound105!!! Click HERE for your chance to win this perfect Christmas present!.........

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November 6, 2006, 8:34 PM CT

Sweater Girl Tote

With winter on its way the Sweater Girl Tote by Rafe has caught my eyes a few times at Anthropologie. I like the tassels and the metal hardware against the contrast of the grey knit and black leather.

More from Anthropologie:

Eventhough its not shown on the web site I've seen the Wise Old Tote and the Big Love Tote on the Sale racks.

Not bag related, I picked up the Spray Can Skirt recently which should keep me warm (and colorful) all winter long.........

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October 31, 2006, 4:46 AM CT

Teenage Girls' Use Of Diet Pills

A study released recently by the University of Minnesota's "Project EAT" (Eating Among Teens) shows startling results of 2,500 female teenagers studied over a five-year period. The study observed that high school-aged females' use of diet pills nearly doubled from 7.5 to 14.2 percent. By the ages of 19 and 20, 20 percent of females surveyed used diet pills.

"These numbers are startling, and they tell us we need to do a better job of helping our daughters feel better about themselves and avoid unhealthy weight control behaviors," U of M professor and study researcher Dianne Neumark-Sztainer said.

Other results from the study include:

62.7 percent of teenage females use "unhealthy weight control behaviors"

21.9 percent of teenage females use "very unhealthy weight control behaviors"

Very unhealthy weight control behaviors include the use of diet pills, laxatives, vomiting or skipping meals. Of the 2,500 teenage males studied, their rates were half of the females'.

"We have observed that teenage females who diet and use unhealthy weight control behaviors are at three times the risk of being overweight," said Neumark-Sztainer. "Teens who feel good about their bodies eat better and have less risk of being overweight. Parents can play a key role in helping their children to build a positive body image and engage in healthy eating and physical activity behaviors".........

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October 27, 2006, 4:54 AM CT

Media And Body-image

New research explores the relationship between so called "thin-ideal" images in the media and body-image issues among young women. Female undergraduates who viewed advertisements displaying ultra-thin women exhibited increases in body dissatisfaction, negative mood, levels of depression and lowered self-esteem. These findings were particularly true for women who have negative views of their current body image and believe themselves to be overweight.

The study shows that women who possess these body image concerns are twice as likely to compare their own bodies to those of the thin models in the advertisements. They are also more likely to have those comparisons affect their self-worth, leading to feelings of depression, body dissatisfaction and preoccupation with diet and exercise. Conversely, women who are content with their bodies did not show any effects from viewing thin-ideal advertisements.

"Women who already have low opinions of their physical appearance are at an even greater risk for negative effects from media images," says Gayle R. Bessenoff, Ph.D., author of the study. "Understanding who will compare to media ideals and when this comparison will take place can help further our understanding of the role of the media in the development of eating disorders".........

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October 26, 2006, 5:18 AM CT

Moderate Drinking May Boost Memory

In the long run, a drink or two a day may be good for the brain.

Researchers found that moderate amounts of alcohol - amounts equivalent to a couple of drinks a day for a human - improved the memories of laboratory rats.

Such a finding may have implications for serious neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, said Matthew During, the study's senior author and a professor of molecular virology, immunology and cancer genetics at Ohio State University.

"There is some evidence suggesting that mild to moderate alcohol consumption can protect against diseases like Alzheimer's in humans," said During. "But it's not apparent how this happens".

He and his colleague, Margaret Kalev-Zylinska, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Auckland, in New Zealand, uncovered a neuronal mechanism that may help explain the link between alcohol and improved memory.

"We saw a noticeable change on the surface of certain neurons in rats that were given alcohol," During said. "This change may have something to do with the positive effects of alcohol on memory".

The researchers presented their findings at the annual Society for Neuroscience conference in Atlanta.

During and Kalev-Zylinska designed a special liquid diet for the rats. One formulation included a low dose of alcohol, comparable to two or three drinks a day for a human, while the other diet included a much higher dose of alcohol, comparable to six or seven drinks a day for a human. A third group of rats was given a liquid diet without alcohol. All animals were given their respective diets daily for about four weeks.........

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