Learn to love the body you have is much more effective than exercise to lose excess weight or eliminate bad habits like smoking.
According to investigators, body image therapy when women see their bodies in a mirror reflection and it should focus on strengths, not weaknesses. It is based on a study of women aged 18-24 years who worked to stop their smoking habit.
In the first session of the study, researchers interviewed 43 young women and found that weight gain was their main concern when deciding to quit smoking. The researchers then decided to add a component of body image in this study. One group underwent training body image while the other group exercises just to get rid of bad habits.
“Component of body image is useful, because 44 percent of participants said they would return to smoking if their weight increases,” said study author Melissa Napolitano, PhD, a psychologist at the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University Philadelphia, told ABCNews.
The researchers found women who attend classes in body image can quit smoking within a week and lose more weight than other groups.
“Skills training in body image is very helpful to quit smoking. Because body image helps people feel better about themselves. They did not turn to cigarettes only for weight control,” said Napolitano.