Dr. Ellen Langer

So you would imagine whether they realized they were getting exercise or not, since they're getting so much exercise, that they're going to be healthier than other people who are not getting them. And they weren't. That's interesting. So now we divide them into two groups. Very simple study. Randomly divide them into two groups. In one group, we simply teach them their work is exercise.

So you would imagine whether they realized they were getting exercise or not, since they're getting so much exercise, that they're going to be healthier than other people who are not getting them. And they weren't. That's interesting. So now we divide them into two groups. Very simple study. Randomly divide them into two groups. In one group, we simply teach them their work is exercise.

So you would imagine whether they realized they were getting exercise or not, since they're getting so much exercise, that they're going to be healthier than other people who are not getting them. And they weren't. That's interesting. So now we divide them into two groups. Very simple study. Randomly divide them into two groups. In one group, we simply teach them their work is exercise.

Making a bed is like working on this machine at the gym. doing the windows, whatever. So you have two groups, one who thinks they work as exercise, one who doesn't realize. We take many, many measures and they're not eating any differently, one group from the other. They're not working any harder. Nevertheless, the group that changed their mind and now saw their work as exercise lost weight.

Making a bed is like working on this machine at the gym. doing the windows, whatever. So you have two groups, one who thinks they work as exercise, one who doesn't realize. We take many, many measures and they're not eating any differently, one group from the other. They're not working any harder. Nevertheless, the group that changed their mind and now saw their work as exercise lost weight.

Making a bed is like working on this machine at the gym. doing the windows, whatever. So you have two groups, one who thinks they work as exercise, one who doesn't realize. We take many, many measures and they're not eating any differently, one group from the other. They're not working any harder. Nevertheless, the group that changed their mind and now saw their work as exercise lost weight.

There was a change in waist to hip ratio, body mass index, and their blood pressure came down. Remarkable. Yeah, yeah. And what I don't usually talk about when I start talking about this is that this was a test of the nocebo effect. Most people know what a placebo is. You take something that's nothing and it has the effect as if it's something. You take a sugar pill.

There was a change in waist to hip ratio, body mass index, and their blood pressure came down. Remarkable. Yeah, yeah. And what I don't usually talk about when I start talking about this is that this was a test of the nocebo effect. Most people know what a placebo is. You take something that's nothing and it has the effect as if it's something. You take a sugar pill.

There was a change in waist to hip ratio, body mass index, and their blood pressure came down. Remarkable. Yeah, yeah. And what I don't usually talk about when I start talking about this is that this was a test of the nocebo effect. Most people know what a placebo is. You take something that's nothing and it has the effect as if it's something. You take a sugar pill.

thinking it's strong medication, and it plays out as if it was. A nocebo is the reverse. You're taking something, so here you're doing the exercise, but you don't realize it, and it gets rid of the effect. An early study on this was, I don't remember who did it, and that was a senior moment.

thinking it's strong medication, and it plays out as if it was. A nocebo is the reverse. You're taking something, so here you're doing the exercise, but you don't realize it, and it gets rid of the effect. An early study on this was, I don't remember who did it, and that was a senior moment.

thinking it's strong medication, and it plays out as if it was. A nocebo is the reverse. You're taking something, so here you're doing the exercise, but you don't realize it, and it gets rid of the effect. An early study on this was, I don't remember who did it, and that was a senior moment.

People were given Ipecac, and Ipecac is supposed to make you vomit, so if you accidentally had poison or whatever, you'd take Ipecac and vomit. So people are given Ipecac, people who have a problem vomiting, and they're told the Ipecac will stop their vomiting. and it stops their vomiting. So many placebo studies where you take people, they rub with a leaf that they think is poison ivy.

People were given Ipecac, and Ipecac is supposed to make you vomit, so if you accidentally had poison or whatever, you'd take Ipecac and vomit. So people are given Ipecac, people who have a problem vomiting, and they're told the Ipecac will stop their vomiting. and it stops their vomiting. So many placebo studies where you take people, they rub with a leaf that they think is poison ivy.

People were given Ipecac, and Ipecac is supposed to make you vomit, so if you accidentally had poison or whatever, you'd take Ipecac and vomit. So people are given Ipecac, people who have a problem vomiting, and they're told the Ipecac will stop their vomiting. and it stops their vomiting. So many placebo studies where you take people, they rub with a leaf that they think is poison ivy.

So it either is poison ivy or it's not poison ivy. You think it's poison ivy or you don't think it's poison ivy, and your body reacts to your thoughts. If you think it's not poison ivy, You don't get the rash. If you think it is poison ivy, you do. Spectacular. Yeah. And so we've been studying this for forever. I think that placebos are probably our very strongest medicine.

So it either is poison ivy or it's not poison ivy. You think it's poison ivy or you don't think it's poison ivy, and your body reacts to your thoughts. If you think it's not poison ivy, You don't get the rash. If you think it is poison ivy, you do. Spectacular. Yeah. And so we've been studying this for forever. I think that placebos are probably our very strongest medicine.

So it either is poison ivy or it's not poison ivy. You think it's poison ivy or you don't think it's poison ivy, and your body reacts to your thoughts. If you think it's not poison ivy, You don't get the rash. If you think it is poison ivy, you do. Spectacular. Yeah. And so we've been studying this for forever. I think that placebos are probably our very strongest medicine.

Although it's interesting that when people think that they were given a placebo, they get very upset. You know, they should be excited because if the placebo didn't cure you, who cured you? You did it yourself. But placebos have gotten a bad rap, I think primarily because of the pharmaceutical companies, right? You want to bring a drug to market.

Although it's interesting that when people think that they were given a placebo, they get very upset. You know, they should be excited because if the placebo didn't cure you, who cured you? You did it yourself. But placebos have gotten a bad rap, I think primarily because of the pharmaceutical companies, right? You want to bring a drug to market.