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To see whether beliefs about fate affect people's odds of gaining weight, the scientists recruited 180 shoppers and instructed them to plug their zodiac signs into a horoscope website. Regardless of their sign, study participants were told, "This is not a favorable day for you" and were then asked if they'd rather clean house (the virtuous option) or attend a party (the rebellious option). The outcome: People who believed in malleable fate were more likely to choose the party.
A second study replicated this effect, but with food: Horoscope readers who thought they could alter their fate picked a chocolate granola bar instead of a healthy harvest one after learning the stars weren’t aligning for them.
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What’s going on? One theory: People may simply indulge in an attempt to compensate for the crappy day they think is coming—in other words, it’s a way to cope.
Alternately, the scientists say, it could be because in anticipation of negative events, people attempt to change fate through positive thinking, which can ultimately deplete their willpower.
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