Living in Costa Rica . . .Where the living is good By Jo Stuart jostuart@amcostarica.com

pharmaceutical drug or remedy, but rather is attributed to the individual’s mind-set (mindless beliefs and expectations).”

They go on to describe a study testing whether “the relationship between exercise and health is moderated by one’s mindset.” To this end they had 84 hotel room attendants for subjects.  Forty-four were told that the work they did, cleaning hotel rooms every day, was enough physical exercise to qualify as a healthy lifestyle as described and recommended by the surgeon general. The control group of 40 attendants was not told this.  After a month the researchers found those who were told that they were actually exercising, “showed a decrease in weight, blood pressure, body fat, waist-to-hip ratio and body mass index.”

“This supported their hypothesis that exercise affects health in part or in whole via the placebo effect.”  It also shows again that the placebo effect is not just about sugar pills.  Symbols and beliefs and plain old expectations can bring about both positive and negative results.

My report, of course, is an incomplete and condensed view of Crum and Langer’s study which is available via an online search.

And finally, back to Mavis’ e-mail.  She ends it by saying,“Work like you don’t need the money. Love like you’ve never been hurt, Dance like nobody’s watching.  Sing like nobody’s listening.  Live like it’s heaven on earth.” 

People who have followed this advice as well as having counted their blessings, have lost weight, got over their depression and lived to be at least 88.

And in case you think this is all hogwash, there is also the nocebo effect.  That happens when you think nothing good can of come of it, and it doesn’t.  Oh, dear, I hope I am not proselytizing.