One of the things I like least about dieting—besides the obvious fact that I have to give up all the foods that got me in trouble in the first place—is that hours after I decide to be virtuous, I am already a grumpy, snappish mess. I'd always blamed the hunger, but a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research says that's it's actually the effort I'm making to exert my will power that's putting me in such a foul mood. "Research has shown that exerting self-control makes people more likely to behave aggressively toward others and people on diets are known to be irritable and quick to anger," the authors explain. In one experiment, people who choose an apple instead of a chocolate bar were more likely to choose movies with anger and revenge themes than milder movies. And it's not surprising that dieters were particularly irritated by marketing messages that include cajoling language like "you ought to," "need to," and "must." I suspect they'd had enough "musts" for the day and were late for the early showing of Saw VIII: The Atkins Killer.
What about you—does dieting make you cranky?
