My first thought on reading this, was to revisit the idea of praying before eating. It would be hard to get an experiment on this past the review board, perhaps, but one wonders if praying before eating would work differently for atheist vs. religious dieters.
Also, I note that even though the (intentionally senseless) ritual helped reduce calories eaten, the people who used it did not think it helped and said they were unlikely to continue it. If it was part of your religious belief, one assumes you would be more likely to think it was important to continue.
Also, I note that even though the (intentionally senseless) ritual helped reduce calories eaten, the people who used it did not think it helped and said they were unlikely to continue it. If it was part of your religious belief, one assumes you would be more likely to think it was important to continue.