The self-control needed to successfully diet may also make you cranky, angry and irritable, according to a new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
Researchers found that making a decision that requires more self-control tends to correlate with angrier or more irritated responses.
For instance, when asked to choose between an apple or a chocolate bar, those who chose the fruit were also more likely to choose movies filled with themes of anger and revenge.
In another study, participants had to choose between a gift certificate for groceries or a trip to the spa. Those who made the responsible financial decision and chose the groceries were more interested in looking at angry faces than sad ones when shown both.
Dieters also tended to react more positively towards an angering public policy ad, but were quicker to become irritated with an ad that was deemed dictatorial.
"Public policy-makers need to be more aware of the potential negative emotions resulting from encouraging the public to exert more self-control in daily choices," explained the authors.
"Instead behavioral interventions might rely on a broader range of methods to foster positive behaviors toward long-term goals."