Former US President Theodore Roosevelt famously said: “Comparations are happy thieves.” This feeling of “people have and we have nothing” is called “relative deprivation,” which can trigger negative emotions such as anger, resentment, and more. Easily lead to bad behaviors such as adventure, alcoholism, drug abuse, overeating or gambling. A recent study in the United Kingdom found that having hope for the future can help avoid dangerous behaviors such as alcoholism and gambling, and increase the happiness of life.
The research team of the School of Psychology, University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom conducted an in-depth study on the specific relationship between life hope and happiness. The researchers completed two experiments. In the first study, 55 volunteer participants took a questionnaire test to understand their feelings of “relative deprivation” and hope for the future. Collect data on the participants’ family income, age, and gender, and tell them how poor they are compared to their peers, thereby inducing the participants to feel “relatively deprived.” Afterwards, the participants participated in a specially designed gambling game that included adventure and betting to win money.
The comparative analysis results show that people with higher scores of “relative deprivation” are more likely to take risks, while those with higher scores of “hope for the future” are less likely to take risks. Another experiment involving 122 participants was to find out whether hope can help reduce bad habits such as gambling. The questionnaire survey included questions such as “how much hope do you have for the future”, “whether you feel a sense of relative deprivation” and “how to treat gambling”. According to survey data, 27% have no gambling problems, 26% have serious gambling problems, 38% have moderate problems, and 9% have difficulty controlling gambling addiction.
Researchers said that “relative deprivation” is a feeling of dissatisfaction with fate. They think that they are in the worst situation and that others are better than themselves, so they escape reality and take risky behavior. The new study found that people with negative attitudes are more likely to use alcohol to seduce their sorrows and contaminate bad habits; people who are hopeful about the future can get through psychological difficulties well, prevent harmful behaviors such as alcohol abuse and gambling, and live life. Be happier and happier.
Those near the convenience store are fatter, those near the grocery store are thinner
Recently, a prospective study on the impact of changes in the community’s eating environment characteristics on children’s body mass index showed that whether there is a convenience store or a grocery store near the residence is significantly associated with children’s weight gain.
From 2009 to 2017, researchers from Arizona State University in the United States conducted a follow-up survey of children aged 3 to 15 who lived in 4 low-income cities in New Jersey for 2 to 5 years. The survey collected data on the weight status of the study subjects and data on food sales points in a buffer zone of 1 mile (about 1.6 kilometers) around the children’s residence in each city. The results of the study found that there are large chain convenience stores (such as 7-eleven, Lawson, etc.) within 1 mile of the residence, and the risk of childhood obesity increases by 11.7%, while there are small grocery stores within 1 mile of the residence (such as fruit shops, vegetable markets) ), the risk of childhood obesity is reduced by 37.3%. Researchers said that convenience stores usually mainly sell some high-calorie and refined foods and often promote snacks and beverages. These are the culprits leading to childhood obesity; while small grocery stores usually sell a variety of fruits and vegetables. , The quantity and variety are not as large as those in large supermarkets, which helps surrounding children reduce the risk of obesity.
This research provides strong evidence for improving community food environment strategies and solving the problem of childhood obesity.
