A Scientifically Proven Strategy To Break Bad Habits

It's incredibly difficult to get people to break bad habits, even if they're deadly. I'm reminded of this when one of my favorite patients, who has suffered several heart attacks, tells me that she ate fried Oreos with whipped cream before finishing her first pack of cigarettes that day.

Although Julia (not her real name) always listens to my requests to improve her lifestyle choices, she doesn't actually take my advice. Years into her battle with heart disease, she is following her own path — one that I fear will end tragically.

So why do some people make changes to improve their health while others stick to bad habits? Surely you know someone you wish would “wake up” and get with the program, whether it's changing his behavior around nutrition, exercise, smoking, stress management or sleep. Or perhaps you've struggled to implement a lifestyle that you know you should follow?

Thankfully, psychology can explain why some people finally break bad habits and others don't. James Prochaska, the Director of the Cancer Prevention Research Center, has created a model for understanding change that has helped doctors and researchers develop strategies for success. His research was inspired by his own struggles with an alcoholic father who wouldn’t make changes for his health. Continue reading.

Originally posted on Mind,Body,Green.