Segun un estudio de mi actual universidad, las personas que se autocaracterizan como cuidadosas de su peso (o que hacen dieta) tienden a creer que agregar una saludable ensalada a una cheeseburger puede reducir el numero total de calorias ingerida, algo conocido como la ilusion de las calorias negativas (negative-calorie illusion trap).
What was even more surprising, however, was that dieters — who are presumably more involved in monitoring their caloric intake and more familiar with the caloric content of different meal options —were even more likely to fall into the negative-calorie illusion trap. In fact, the illusion was twice as strong for the weight-conscious groups (who on average underestimated the combined meal by 76 calories or 10.8 percent) than for those who were rather indifferent about their weight (who on average underestimated the combined meal by 33 calories or 4.8 percent).
El paper aparecera en la edicion de Abril de 2011 del Journal of Consumer Psychology.
