Everyone’s a Health Nut on Monday

Aimee+Swarts

Tradition suggests that January 1 is the perfect time to decide to improve your health. But our collective success rate there is grim： one survey found that only about 17 percent of people who make New Years resolutions stick them out for more than one month. So when do we make behavior changes that really stick？

Research has shown that more people start diet and exercise regimes2）， quit smoking， and make doctors appointments on Mondays than any other day of the week. Now， a new analysis of online search queries shows that health-related contemplations3） are also most likely to take place on a Monday.

The study， to be published early next week in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that health-related Google queries peak on Monday and Tuesday. They then decline throughout the week before plunging on Saturday and rebounding again Monday.

“These findings show that healthy thinking and behavior is synced to the week， with Monday being the day were most likely to start healthy，” said Morgan Johnson， a co-author of the study. “This suggests that people see the new week much like a new beginning—a January 1st that happens every seven days.”

Similar to the 24-hour circadian rhythm4） that serves as a natural “body clock，” a 7-day cycle known as our circaseptan rhythm5） governs numerous biological functions. Monday spikes6）， in particular， have been associated with several cardiovascular7） events， such as high blood pressure， heart attacks， and stroke， as well as infectious disease. Now， says Johnson， it appears that healthy considerations follow the same kind of rhythm.

As part of the study， Johnson worked with researchers from San Diego State University， the Santa Fe Institute， and Johns Hopkins University to monitor queries from 2004 to 2012 for searches that included the word “healthy” or that were Google classified as “health-related” （e.g. healthy diet）. Data showed that health-related queries on Monday and Tuesday were 3 percent greater than Wednesday， 15 percent greater than Thursday， 49 percent greater than Friday， 80 percent greater than Saturday and 29 percent greater than Sunday.

Johnson notes that the “rhythms were unfailingly consistent” across the weeks and were not influenced by factors such as media reporting on health. Knowing that healthy considerations follow a week-long cycle “opens the door for more targeted and， ultimately more effective， health promotion，” Johnson said.

An estimated $76.2 billion is spent annually on health promotion programs—money Johnson suggests could be better spent “if everyone were timing their health messages to days of the week when people were most open to hearing them.”

Thats precisely the idea behind the Monday Campaigns， a joint project of Columbia Universitys Mailman School of Public Health， Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health， and the Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications， where Johnson serves as research director. The Monday Campaigns mission is simple： to make Monday the day we associate with healthy behaviors.

“Friday is payday. Saturday is play day. Sunday is pray day. Were trying to make Monday the ‘all health breaks loose8） day，” said Sid Lerner， a former advertising executive who founded the Monday Campaigns.

So far， the Monday Campaigns most successful initiative has been Meatless Monday， a movement that asks carnivores9） to give up meat one day a week for both health and environmental reasons. On average， Americans consume 8 ounces of meat per day—45 percent more than the USDA10） recommends.

Cutting-back on red meat consumption， in particular， can reduce ones risk for chronic preventable illnesses—such as colon11） cancer and heart disease—and help people live longer， healthier lives. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization also says reducing meat consumption can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions—a leading cause of climate change—produced by the meat industry， and conserve natural resources， such as fresh water and fossil fuel， that are used to raise livestock.

Since its launch in 2003， Meatless Monday has made its way into corporate cafeterias， hospitals， K-1212） schools， colleges， and local governments. It is supported by celebrities like Oprah and Sir Paul McCartney. Even meat-loving chef Mario Batali has joined the movement by offering Meatless Monday menu options in all of his 14 restaurants.

Meatless Monday is practiced in 31 countries worldwide in 21 different languages—a testament， Lerner says， “to the universal appeal of an idea that is easy to understand and easy to do.” Most recently， the Norwegian Army took up Meatless Monday on one of its bases， with the intent to expand to its bases worldwide.

Based on Meatless Mondays success， the Monday Campaigns has launched several additional campaigns， including Move It Monday （a day to jumpstart physical activity for the week）， Monday 2000 （a day to balance our daily recommended calorie count）， Kids Cook Monday （a day for children and families to prepare healthy meals together） and Man-Up Monday （a day for young men to get screened HIV and STDs）. More campaigns are also under development， including one set to launch later this year that focuses on stress reduction.

Lerner attributes the Monday Campaigns successes to the fact that they build upon an existing pattern—the week—instead of creating a new one or tying behavior change to a specific date， such as New Years Day or a birthday or anniversary.

“If you believe that you can only change on January 1st—the inherent message of New Years resolutions—you will have to wait a whole year before you get another shot，” said Lerner. “When you associate getting healthy with Monday， you have 52 cues every year to take action.”

Lerner also thinks the Monday Campaigns success-factor lies in their focus on incremental13） changes that will translate into making healthier choices overall.

“Going meat-free or whatever change you want to make for one day wont leave most people feeling like they have to deprive themselves，” he said. “Its the kind of easily achievable goal that people can build on over time.”

And， Lerner adds， “Even if you do slip up14） or fall off the wagon15） theres always another Monday less than a week away to get it together again.”

传统表明，1月1日是下决心改善自身健康状况的最佳时间，但我们总体的成功率却很惨淡：一项调查发现，在制定新年计划的人群中，只有大约17%的人能够坚持实施一个月以上。那么我们什么时候才能做出真正持久的行为转变呢？

已有研究表明，更多的人会在周一开始执行节食和锻炼的养生计划、戒烟以及预约看医生，比一周中的其他任何一天都要多。现在，针对网上搜索查询的一项新分析表明，与健康相关的思考也最有可能在周一出现。

这项研究将在下周初（编注：英文原文发表于4月17日）刊登在《美国预防医学杂志》上。该研究发现，在谷歌搜索引擎上，与健康有关的查询数量在周一和周二最多，随后查询量在一周中会逐日下降，在周六会骤降，而在周一会再次反弹。

“这些研究结果表明，与健康相关的想法和行为是与星期同步的，周一是我们最有可能开启健康生活的一天，”该研究的一位合著者摩根·约翰逊说，“这表明人们将新的一周视为一个新的开端——就像是每七天就要过一次1月1日似的。”

人体具有24小时的昼夜节律，这是一种天然的“身体时钟”。与之类似，一种被称为“每周节律”的为期七天的周期控制着很多生理机能。特别是在周一，一些心血管疾病，如高血压、心脏病发作和中风，以及传染性疾病都会激增。约翰逊说，现在看来，人们对健康问题的考虑也遵循同样的节律。

作为该研究的一部分，约翰逊与来自圣迭戈州立大学、圣菲研究所和约翰·霍普金斯大学的研究者们合作，监测了2004年至2012年间包含“健康的”一词的搜索或是被谷歌归类为“健康相关”的搜索（如健康饮食）。数据表明，在周一和周二，与健康相关的查询比周三高出3%，比周四高出15%，比周五高出49%，比周六高出80%，比周日高出29%。

约翰逊指出，在每一周，这种“节律始终不变”，也没有受到诸如媒体对健康问题的报道等因素的影响。认识到人们对健康问题的考虑遵循为期一周的周期，这“开启了更具针对性、最终也更加有效的健康促进活动”，约翰逊说。

据估计，每年投入健康促进计划的资金达762亿美元。约翰逊认为“如果大家都选择好时机，在每周中人们最愿意听取健康信息的日子发布这些信息”，这笔钱就能得到更好的利用。

这正是“周一运动”背后的理念。“周一运动”是哥伦比亚大学梅尔曼公共卫生学院、约翰·霍普金斯大学布隆博格公共卫生学院和雪城大学纽豪斯公共传播学院的一个联合项目，由约翰逊担任研究主任。“周一运动”的宗旨很简单：让周一成为我们的健康行为日。

“周五是发薪日。周六是娱乐日。周日是祈祷日。我们正努力让周一成为‘健康解放日。”席德·勒纳说。他曾是一位广告经理，是“周一运动”的发起人。

迄今为止，“周一运动”最成功的一项倡议是“素食周一”，该活动呼吁肉食者每周有一天不吃肉，这既是为了健康，也是为了环境。美国人平均每天食用8盎司（译注：约227克）肉——比美国农业部的推荐量高出45%。

减少红肉的食用量尤其能够降低人们患上可预防慢性病的风险——比如结肠癌和心脏病——并有助于人们过上更长寿、更健康的生活。联合国粮农组织也表示，减少肉类的食用量还有助于减少肉类工业所产生的温室气体排放——而温室气体是气候变化的一个主要原因，并有利于节约喂养牲畜所消耗的自然资源，例如淡水和化石燃料。

自2003年发起以来，“素食周一”活动已经延伸至企业餐厅、医院、幼儿园、中小学、大学和地方政府，也得到了奥普拉和保罗·麦卡特尼爵士等名人的支持。甚至酷爱肉类的大厨马里奥·巴塔利也加入了这项活动，在他所有14家餐厅中都提供了备选的“素食周一”菜单。

“素食周一”在讲21种不同语言的31个国家得到推广——勒纳说这证明了“一个简明易行的想法具有普世的吸引力”。最近，挪威陆军开始在一个基地上实行“素食周一”计划，并有意将其推广至它在世界各地的基地。

在“素食周一”获得成功的基础上，“周一运动”又发起了其他几项运动，包括“周一动起来”（开启整周体育活动的一天）、“周一2000卡”（平衡每日推荐卡路里值的一天）、“孩子下厨周一”（孩子和家人共同烹调健康饮食的一天）以及“男子汉周一”（年轻男士进行艾滋病和性传播疾病检查的一天）。还有更多运动正在准备中，包括计划于今年晚些时候发起的一项以减压为重点的运动。

勒纳认为“周一运动”获得成功的原因是它们依赖于一个现成的模式——星期，而非创造出一个新的模式，或将行为的转变与某个具体的日期（如元旦、生日或周年纪念日）相关联。

“如果你认为自己只能在1月1日改变——这是新年计划的固有含义——你必须等整整一年才能得到另一次机会，”勒纳说，“当你把追求健康与周一联系起来时，你每年会得到52次提示，促使你采取行动。”

勒纳还认为“周一运动”成功的因素在于这些运动关注循序渐进的改变，这将转化为在各方面做出更健康的选择。

“一天不吃肉，或者在某一天进行你要做出的任何改变，这不会让大多数人觉得他们必须苛求自己，”他说，“这是那种易于实现的目标，随着时间的流逝，人们可以积沙成塔。”

而且，勒纳补充道：“即便你真的失败了，或是半途而废了，在不到一周之后，总会有另一个周一能够让你重整旗鼓。”

4. circadian rhythm： [生] 昼夜节律，24小时节律

5. circaseptan rhythm：以七天为

周期的节律

6. spike [spa?k] n. （价格、数量的）

突然上升，剧增

7. cardiovascular

[?kɑ?（r）di???v?skj?l?（r）] adj. [医]心血管的