Something you shouldn't do in the dark - Editorial - psychology and weight loss - Brief Article

Vibrant Life, March-April, 2002 by Larry Becker

Before I moved to Maryland nearly seven years ago to become Vibrant Life editor, I spent virtually all my life living in southern California. So I've had a lifelong love of sunshine. In southern California, getting outside and enjoying the sun's warmth on your face is a year-round pleasure.

Believe me, life in Maryland can sometimes be jarring for a sun lover. As I'm writing this editorial, I can look out my office window and see a beautiful blue sky, and what looks like a wonderful sunny day. Just one problem; right now the wind chill outside is 22 [degrees] F. Twenty-two! Even after seven years this Los Angeles native just can't get used to those kind of numbers on a weather report. But recently an interesting item crossed my desk, one that has caused me to think that maybe I need to just bundle up and head outside anyway.

A researcher at the University of California at Irvine recently surveyed a number of college students who are concerned about their weight or dieting, trying to lose excess weight. He found that darkness can serve as a trigger for binge eating. It seems that low light levels make dieters feel less self-conscious, which leads to more uninhibited eating habits. The study also found that those who spent more of their waking hours in daylight were less likely to show binge eating tendencies. This isn't an insignificant finding; at any given time more than half of American women are on a diet, as are 25 percent of American men.

It has long been known that shorter winter days can cause depression in some people. But this study puts a whole new spin on that New Year's resolution you made to lose some weight. Spending more of your waking hours in darkness puts that goal at a high risk for failure.

Many years ago a very wise man made an observation that could have predicted the results of this new research: "Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun" (Ecclesiastes 11:7, RSV). * God gave us the sunlight, and it's free to everyone. It's important to get out and enjoy the sunshine every day possible.

Hey, I'm not saying I'm perfect here. I enjoy warm Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the evening after supper as much as anyone. But, pushed to make a choice, I like shooting hoops with my boy on a warm sunny afternoon better.

* Bible texts credited to RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Copyright [c] 1946, 1952, 1971, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission.