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...

You hear it time and time again: Looks don't matter; it's the inside that counts. Unfortunately, that's just a bunch of malarkey. If looks don't matter, why is it that: We flinch at the sight of a "disgusting" rat or roach, but we go gaga over kittens and puppies Employers generally choose better-looking job candidates for positions Studies show that good-looking people are perceived as friendlier and more intelligent than less attractive ones Women spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars each year on plastic surgery, makeup, and other methods of "beautification" Attractive individuals -- including models, athletes, and celebrities -- pervade all kinds of advertisements, including magazine ads and commercials When something -- or someone -- is pleasing to the eye, we naturally gravitate towards it. Saying that it's the inside that counts is true and certainly noble, but society has become far too shallow to really live by that mo...