The Placebo Effect in Weight Loss

Can your perception of your exercise habits change your weight? Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer performed an experiment with hotel maids. She found that the maids didn’t consider what they did as exercise, although their daily work activity exceeded recommendations. Half the maids were told their activity levels met the surgeon general's definition of an active lifestyle. One month later, the group that had the information was found to have lower weight, lower blood pressure, and smaller waists! However, there was no indication of changes in the group’s overall activity.
Essentially, what Langer is talking about is a placebo effect. She says that if you believe you are exercising, your body may respond as if it is. It's the same as if you believe you are getting medication when you are actually getting a sugar pill — your body can sometimes respond as if a placebo is actually working.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17792517 -via Reddit

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I don't believe that it's a placebo effect. I think the maids were happy to know that they are on track and are being active. That can make a person feel motivated to eat healthier, be less guilty, and get even more exercise.
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I agree with Ashley. There are also a lot of people who are overweight and do very little exercise but honestly believe that they are fit.

PS - lol Jennifer Lopez
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I disagree. I believe that if you have enough body awareness to know that what you are doing is a physical act, that you choose to go deeper with that act... physically. When lifting something, one might just use their arms, but if they know that it will be better for them to lift that object with their entire core, they are in fact using more of their body and creating more of a workout. All a workout is, is body awareness. Knowing what to use in ones body to become more efficient. Simply going deeper with one move. Again, using the whole body to do something as oppose to straining one part (like an arm, or their back). I believe they were more fit, but not because of what they were told, but because of their physical body awareness.
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