According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research , even subtle reminders of idealized bodies can encourage overweight consumers to overspend. Studies show that exposure to body cues (i.e., shapes) can have unintended consequences on seemingly unrelated behavior, such as spending. Seeing a thin -- as opposed to wide -- human-like shape prompts high-body-mass-index consumers to make more indulgent spending decisions. The authors found that mere reminders of the thin-body ideal can cause overweight consumers to feel worse about their own abilities, including management of their spending impulses. In one study where consumers were shown an object with a thin, human-like shape (e.g., something that resembles a Coca-Coca bottle), high-BMI consumers were more likely to buy a higher-priced, Fiji-brand bottle of water than a lower-priced, generic-brand bottle. Another study on shopping found that high-BMI consumers were more willing to take on credit card debt after seeing a...