You’re determined to lose weight. But as you drink your morning cappuccino, you start craving the croissant you usually have with it. Or at 5pm you find yourself thinking about the cold glass of beer you’d normally enjoy with colleagues after work. When it comes to the pull of short-term gratification versus the long-term goal of being 10kg lighter, short-term gratification often wins.
Jackie Andrade, professor in psychology at the University of Plymouth’s Institute of Health and Care Research, is working to find methods that will tip the scales in favour of long-term goals over short-term pleasures. Although her research focuses on losing weight, her pioneering techniques can apply to other behavioural changes, such as giving up alcohol or taking up exercise.
