Hunger – More Mental than Physical?

Hunger – More Mental than Physical?

Forget the diets. Stop counting calories. Don’t fret over willpower. That’s not the issue.

When it comes to managing our weight, it’s all about your hunger mood.  That’s the striking claim by Michael Graziano, neuroscientist and Princeton professor who insists that weight regulation is a matter of psychology, not physiology. 

Graziano first points to the obvious: diets don’t work, and when they do, their success is short lived. In a piece published at aeon.co, Graziano argues: “The obesity epidemic is not an issue of calories or willpower. I began to suspect that our problem with obesity is a problem of poisoning the normal regulatory system. We possess a system that’s intricate and beautifully calibrated. It evolved over millions of years to be good at its job. It should work in the background without any conscious effort, but for more than two-thirds of us it doesn’t. What are we doing to ourselves to screw up the hunger and satiety system?”

Yes, Graziano acknowledges, if you take in fewer calories you will lose weight, but that’s not the point. The point is that we’re trying to “outsmart an effective, 50,000-year-old subconscious process,” and it’s not working. Remember the diets urging us to cut out the fat?  Says Graziano: “Cutting out the fat has led to a disaster. As numerous studies have now established, fat reduces hunger. Take it away and the hunger mood soars.”

Remember the diets telling us to count our calories?  Graziano explains: “Let’s say you decide to cut back on calories. You eat less for a day. The result? It’s like picking up a stick and poking a tiger. Your hunger mood rises and for the next five days you’re eating bigger meals and more snacks, perhaps only vaguely realizing it. People tend to judge how much they’ve eaten partly by how full they feel afterward. But since that feeling of fullness is partly psychological, if your hunger mood is up, you might eat more than usual, feel less full than usual, and so mistakenly think that you’ve cut back. You might feel like you’re making progress. After all, you’re constantly vigilant. Sure, now and then you slip up, but you get yourself right back on track again. You feel good about yourself until you get on a scale and notice that your weight isn’t responding. It might go down one day and then blip up the next two days. Dancing under the surface of consciousness, your hunger mood is warping your perceptions and choices.”

Graziano’s bottom line: “Take in fewer calories and you’ll lose weight. But explicitly try to reduce calories, and you’ll do the exact opposite.”

What’s the solution?  Graziano says that we have to start paying attention to our hunger mood, becoming acutely aware of when our hunger mood is up (e.g., we arrive early at the deli counter) and when it’s down (we get caught up in our work).

Others urge us to learn the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger (or what some call “head hunger”). According to articles at the huffingtonpost.com and shapeness.se:

·         Emotional hunger comes on suddenly, abruptly, and feels urgent. Physical hunger builds gradually, and can be postponed.

·         Emotional eating causes specific cravings. Physical hunger can be satisfied with any type of food.

·         Emotional hunger is mental, fantasizing about foods, and leads us to eat more than we normally would (often we end up feeling uncomfortably full). With physical hunger, once we’re full, we can stop eating.

·         Emotional hunger is hard to satisfy, making it hard to stop. Physical hunger is satisfied, feeling full.

·         Finally, emotional hunger often leaves us feeling guilty. Not so with physical hunger.

What makes us so hungry? 

Ian Lang, writing for www.askmen.com, notes that “throughout [Graziano’s] observations, he found three reasons people get uncontrollably hungry: A diet that's sky-high in carbs, which have been shown to encourage hunger, a diet low in fat and a maniacal obsession with counting calories.” Urges Graziano: Put yourself in position where your “automatic system can operate correctly. Don’t put a plastic bag over your head. Likewise, don’t eat the super-high death-carb, low-fat diet. Don’t micromanage your brainstem by counting every calorie. You might be surprised at how well your health self-regulates.”

And this poignant tip from thinfastmd.com: when you get hungry, “stop and think about why you’re ready to eat. Are you bored, or anxious or upset? Negative and complacent emotions can lure us towards food as a comfort.” In addition, “Pay attention to the time. Determine when the last time you ate was, and whether or not it is time to eat again.” Finally, and this is something we all know: “Drink lots of water. Sometimes, you may feel hungry if you are slightly dehydrated. Try drinking a glass of water and determine how you feel afterwards.”

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And Now the Good News (Part 2) - Do Man's Best Days Lie Ahead?

And Now the Good News (part 2)

Part 1 addressed the compelling issue of world hunger, and the significant strides being made worldwide. Today, in Part 2, we explore an equally dynamic topic: Is humankind progressing?  Today’s column provides excerpts from a recent debate held among four of the world’s brightest minds.

Is humankind progressing?  Do man’s best days lie ahead?

A one-hour news feed from CNN might convince you otherwise.  It’s the downside of a 24/7 news cycle – we endure a thousand impressions of the latest crime, tragedy or killing – be it human or weather-related – and, honestly, it can’t help but cloud our perspective. 

Yet a quick look back, to nearly any time in history, assures us that every generation experiences its own unique set of worries and fears.  Why would this time in history be any different?

That was the issue explored this past fall at the Munk Debates*, a series of semi-annual debates vetting issues of substance (prior topics included: The West vs. Russia, Gender in the 21^st Century, North American Economy, Religion, Healthcare, Climate Change and Humanitarian Intervention). 

Four authors took the debate floor – on the pro side, Harvard Professor Steven Pinker and House of Lords member Matt Ridley built a compelling case that man’s best days do indeed lie ahead. Opposing them, journalist Malcolm Gladwell and public philosopher Alain de Botton made their claim that today’s threats (e.g., nuclear proliferation, climate change, et al) are indeed of a different order.

Clear from debate reviews was that Pinker – armed with facts and figures – carried the day. Pinker opens with two memorable lines: “Journalists report plane crashes, not planes that take off,” then adds: “As long as bad things haven’t vanished from the earth altogether, there will always be enough of them to fill the news.”  His compelling arguments rested on 10 elements that revealed, with little hyperbole, that humankind is indeed progressing.  Following are Pinker’s 10 points, drawn from the transcript of the Munk Debates:

1.      Life itself: “A century and a half ago, the human lifespan was 30 years. Today is it 70 and it shows no signs of leveling off.”

2.      Health: “Two of the greatest sources of misery in human existence [smallpox and cattle plague] have been eradicated forever. The same will soon be true for polio and guinea worm and we are currently decimating hookworm, malaria, filariasis, measles, rubella and yaws.”

3.      Prosperity: “Two centuries ago eighty-five percent of the world’s population lived in extreme poverty. Today, that’s down to ten percent and, according to the UN, by 2030, it could be zero.”

4.      Peace: “Globally, the annual death rate from wars has been in bumpy decline, from 300 per 100,000 during World War II, to 22 in the 1950s, 9 in the ‘70s, 5 in the ‘80s, 1.5 in the ‘90s and 0.2 in the ‘00s. Even the horrific civil war in Syria has only budged the numbers back up to where they were in 2000.”

5.      Safety: “Global rates of violent crime are falling in many places precipitously. The world’s leading criminologists have calculated that, within thirty years, we can cut the global rate of homicide in half.”

6.      Freedom: “More than sixty percent of the world’s population now lives in open societies, the highest percentage ever.”

7.      Knowledge: “In 1820, seventeen percent of people had a basic education. Today, eighty-two percent do and the percentage is rapidly heading to a hundred.”

8.      Human Rights: “Ongoing global campaigns have targeted child labor, capital punishment, human trafficking, violence against women, female genital mutilation, and the criminalization of homosexuality. Each has made measurable inroads and, if history is a guide, these barbaric customs will go the way of human sacrifice, cannibalism, infanticide, chattel slavery, heretic burning, torture executions, public hangings, debt bondage, dueling, harems, eunuchs, freak shows, foot binding, laughing at the insane, and the designated goon in hockey.”

9.      Gender Equity: “Global data show that woman are getting better educated, marrying later, earning more, and in more positions of power and influence.”

10.   Intelligence: “In every country, IQ has been rising by three points a decade.”

* The 90-minute debates began in 2008 and are a charitable initiative of the Aurea Foundation co-founders Peter and Melanie Munk.  Last month’s debate, on humankind, was held at the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, in front of an audience of 3,000. TV viewers also looked on.

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Resolutions: What’s the trick to keeping ’em?

Resolutions: What’s the trick to keeping ’em?

It’s been 22 years since I’ve made a New Year’s resolution. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. For more than two decades I’ve answered the question with a simple: “Why yes, I’ve resolved not to make any New Year’s resolutions!” Needless to say, I’ve been quite successful these last 22 years (ha ha).

For some reason, this year is different. I’ve penned more than half a dozen and now face the daunting challenge of achieving them. Where to turn? To the science, of course, in search of sage advice about how to avoid the mind traps that typically derail long-term commitments.

But before we share our 4-point tip sheet, let’s take a moment to touch on temporal landmarks, marketplace trends, and some unique resolutions that I wish I’d had on my list.

·       Temporal landmarks – Akin to the term physical landmarks, temporal landmarks represent specific days that allow us to create a “fresh start” (e.g., “I’ll start that on my birthday, or after the holiday, or next Monday, next week or next month”). Temporal landmarks, according to an article at www.theconversation.com, represent a “demarcation between a past self, who has perhaps failed to meet goals, and the present self, who has goal pursuit at their fingertips.”

·       By the numbers – an estimated 40% of us make New Year’s resolutions each year, and the areas targeted are much what you’d expect – nearly half fall into one of three standard categories: losing weight, improving our financial outlook and finding a new job. Success rates?  Not as bad as you might think. While it’s true that a third of us don’t last a month, an impressive 50% make it for six months.

·       Unique resolutions – In recent days, I’ve come across some provocative ones. For instance: “Learn something you never learned as a child” or “learn a decent party trick.” And then there’s “validate people in my life more” and “worry less.” I like that last one (and am open to any and all recommendations on how to accomplish it!). But my favorite resolution came from columnist Joel Klein, who earlier this month tweeted: “How about this for a new year's res: let's educate our kids before we graduate them, not vice-versa.” (Klein was reacting to a recent New York Times editorial titled “The Counterfeit High School Diploma”). 

OK, now on to the tips.

1.     Watch your language!  No surprise here, word choice matters. My personal tip is to avoid using the word “every” (as in: “try a new food each week,” or “go for a walk every day,” or “take a friend to lunch once a month”). Don’t get me wrong. I like the ideas, but chances are that the words “every” or “daily” will tend to bind us and lead to a spiral of negative thinking that slows our progress. So go ahead, if you’ve already made some resolutions that might be overly demanding, feel free to revise them. In a similar vein, experts encourage us to avoid being negative (for example, instead of setting a goal to lose 20 lbs., try to re-frame the goal in terms of improving your health).

2.     Harness the skills, and know why you’re doing it! Two elements worth noting: 1. It’s critical to know why you’re making the resolution (see Langer’s quote below); and 2. It takes skill to accomplish our goals. Said Dr. John Norcross, a professor of psychology at the University of Scranton, as quoted in an article at http://www.dailymail.co.uk: “'Largely people are unprepared for change . . . A fair number just clink the champagne glasses and confuse a resolution with a wish. . . . They certainly want to be inspired and motivated at the beginning, but when that gives out within the week, they need to be able to [rely on their] skills.”

As for knowing why, Harvard professor Dr. Ellen Langer was quoted as saying: “When you make a resolution to do something other than what deeply feels comfortable for you, it’s unlikely that you’re going to do it. If somebody is anxious and they eat to make themselves feel good, making a resolution not to over-consume is likely going to fail. Better for the person to recognize their relationship between stress and eating – and deal with the stress.” Added Langer: “If you don’t know what leads to the behavior in the first place, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll break [your resolution] in the second place.”

3.     Questions, not statement.  There’s a body of thought (though it’s hard to know how valid it is) that if you frame your resolutions as questions, you’ll have more luck fulfilling them. Here’s one example from professor Eric Spangenberg, University of California, Irvine: Instead of simply saying “I will exercise more,” try asking yourself “Will I exercise more?” and then answer (with enthusiasm, of course), “YES!” (I’ve tried it, quite interesting!)

4.     Find a friend. The stats are compelling – committing to a goal with a friend leads to far greater success. Explained an article published at theconversation.com: “One research study found signing up for a weight-loss program with friends and having that social support reinforced over time resulted in an increase from 75% to 95% in course completion. It even resulted in an increase from 24% to 66% in weight-loss maintenance, compared to signing up alone and receiving treatment not focused on social support.”

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How Many Bumps Will You Have Today?

How Many Bumps Will You Have Today?

“We can’t have a crisis tomorrow.  My schedule is already full.” – Henry Kissinger

We expect so much. We expect our hours and days to run smoothly, when indeed we know better.

I call it the “Theory of Six Bumps,” and it’s a simple premise: each day will surprise us with six bumps, that is, events that we don’t anticipate but must deal with nonetheless. The dog gets sick and does her business on the carpet (bump #1) . . . a friend desperately needs a ride to drop off his car (bump #2) . . . on our way to the office, we realize that we forgot one critical piece for the afternoon meeting (bump #3).

Bumps, of course, come in all shapes and sizes (misplaced keys, traffic at a standstill on 526), and if we’re lucky, most bumps will be insignificant. Certain ones will take over our lives for a stretch (e.g., sickness and weather-related tragedies), but the true casualty is our dream for a bump-free day. Perhaps it’s time to revise that dream. Instead of anticipating a day free of mishaps (hope springs eternal), embrace the notion that, each day, they’ll be six bumps (some more demanding than others).  Rest assured, they’re coming.

Some time ago I shared the Theory of Six Bumps with my sister, and less than 48 hours later she called and reported, “Well, I’ve already had my six bumps today.” It was 10:30 in the morning (ouch!). As best I can recall, the bumps involved a parking ticket, a broken coffee pot and a computer glitch, a challenging mix if you asked me. I immediately thought to myself, then shared with my sister: “Well, it looks like you’re clear for the rest of the day.” Fortunately she laughed, then recounted the frustrating details of her morning.

Some days I give voice to my bumps. Rushing to a morning meeting, I spot a traffic jam up ahead. Inside I’m thinking: “Bump #1”. Hours later, on the checkout line, I discover that I don’t have my credit card (bump #2) because I gave it to my daughter (an altogether different kind of bump). Once home, I realize that I’ve neglected to shut off the outside water valve and discover that the water line has burst (bump #3, and a sizable one at that).

Of late, one particular bump stands out: it was Saturday morning, nearing 9:30am, when Roe and I heard a strange noise emanating from the air vent.  Within minutes we realized that an animal was trapped in the duct system and as my frustration began to mount, that THIS Saturday was about to disappear, I smiled to myself and said aloud: “Ah, bump #1.”  Six hours later the problem was resolved (we’ll call this a “multi-hour bump”). And while frustration was still a part of my profile, the recognition helped immensely.

Might a bump-free day lie in your future?  Not likely. So just sit back and relax – and count ‘em if you wish.  But know this – the bumps will arrive again tomorrow . . . and the day after that.

Embrace ’em.  It’ll make life a heckuva lot easier.

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And Now, the Good News (part 1)

And Now, the Good News (part 1)

It’s hard to ignore the endless stream of frightening news from around the globe (of late, university shootings, hotel attacks, the refugee crisis in Europe, the ongoing death spiral in South Sudan – just to name a few).  It’s enough to make you think that the world is in a bit of a free fall. 

And, despite our best intentions, with 24/7 news sources delivering wall-to-wall coverage of the dark side, it’s difficult not to be sucked in, to believe that the evil element is about to strike close to home tomorrow, or the day after. Of course, there are legitimate threats. But millions of people across the globe, every day, are taking active steps to improve the planet.  And many of them are succeeding. 

Part I of our series explores one of the most compelling issue of our time, or any time – world hunger. And we’re not just talking about the crises in less-developed countries. Mind-numbing statistics from a recent book (“Hunger: The Biology and Politics of Starvation,” by Butterly and Shepherd) points out that, currently, 49 million people in the United States (roughly 15% of all U.S. households) do not have enough to eat each day, and suffer from recurring hunger.  The challenge exists globally, but a detailed U.N. report released earlier this year maintains that, based on steady progress in recent years, world hunger could conceivably end in our lifetime. To that end, www.bit-of-news.com titled a recent report: “Generation Y may be history’s first zero-hunger generation.” Added Rachel Zelon, executive director of Hunger Relief International: ““This is an engaged generation,” she said. “They want to be a part of the solution.”

Some noteworthy facts – and reminders – from the UN report (titled: “The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015”): 

·        In the 22-year span between 2990 and 2012, “the number of hungry declined to 795 million,” down from 1 billion (this 21% decline took place at a time when world population rose by 35%, from 5.2 billion to 7 billion).

·        The decline results from “an increasing number of countries [hitting] their MDG (Millennium Development Goal) targets on hunger,” according to the UN report. Said Jose Graziano da Silva, Director General of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization): ““The near-achievement of the MDG hunger targets shows us that we can indeed eliminate the scourge of hunger in our lifetime.” Of the 129 countries involved, 72 achieved their MDG goals for 2015, “with developing regions as a whole missing the target by a small margin,” added the UN report.

·        Said the UN Report: “. . .  large reductions in hunger were achieved in East Asia and very fast progress was posted in Latin America and the Caribbean, southeast and central Asia, as well as some parts of Africa, showing that inclusive economic growth, agricultural investments and social protection, along with political stability makes the elimination of hunger possible.” Amid this progress, worldhunger.org adds this cautionary note: “[T]here has been the least progress in the sub- Saharan region, where more than one in four people remain undernourished – the highest prevalence of any region in the world.”

·        And another cautionary note, from the same UN report.  Despite great strides in reducing global hunger, they said, progress towards achieving the 2015 food security targets “was hampered in recent years by challenging global economic conditions as well as extreme weather events, natural disasters, political instability and civil strife.” Along these lines, the UN’s World Food Programme points out that: “Good progress was made in reducing chronic hunger in the 1980s and the 1990s, but progress began to level off between 2000 and 2010.” They added: “All of us – citizens, employers, corporate leaders and governments – must work together to end hunger.”

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How intuitive are you?

Definition of Intuition: “The capacity for direct knowledge and immediate insight, without any observation or reason.” – David G. Myers, PhD

How intuitive are you? 

I have a hunch that you’ll enjoy this article.

We’ll cover incubation, blind readings, inner voices, ways to improve your intuition and when not to trust it.

And how real it is? Said neurology professor Antoine Bechara, as quoted in an article by Sarah Mahoney for prevention.com: "People treat intuition like it's a dirty word, but it's actually one of the body's survival mechanisms. . . . It's a means of taking you away from danger and steering you toward what is good for you."

We took the quiz!

My wife (Roe) and I took a 22 question survey on intuition, and no surprise – she’s far more intuitive that I am (she outscored me 14-8 so I’ll continue, as I have for 38 years, to defer to her instincts).  And, no surprise again, surveys repeatedly find that women are more intuitive than men, that is, better at decoding human emotions. Said Mahoney: “. . . [T]here's plenty of evidence that women have a bit of an edge: For example . . . when shown pictures of couples, women are better at predicting which are phony and which are real. And in photos of coworkers, women are more likely to discern which one is the other's supervisor.”

In that same article, Bechara points out that: "Intuition is most useful in ambiguous, complex decisions [and] least useful in areas where the outcomes are predictable." Added Mahoney: “So if you're deciding if you should marry or whether to take that job in Boston, use your gut. Buying real estate or deciding whether to go through with that knee surgery? Check your intuition at the door, and listen to the numbers.”

Ways to improve it (incubation, a blind reading)

Researchers at the University of Minnesota, noting that “intuition is a natural process,” recommends spending more time in nature, keeping an Intuition Diary, finding an Intuitive Buddy and ONLY relying on intuition when you’re dealing with “real problems and situations.” The web site beliefnet.com explains how your intuitive powers can be honed with practice, awareness, meditative techniques, imagery, dreams, affirmations and the like. 

And then there are these nontraditional methods: incubation and a blind reading. On incubation, author Philip Goldberg (“The Intuitive Edge”) explains: “Add a shot of intuition to your daily analysis. Some people thrive on data. That's fine, but give yourself a definite cutoff point for analysis and then try a trick that psychologists call incubation: Give yourself a fun distraction such as doing a puzzle or reading before making your final decision. This will allow your intuition to play a role.”

And a blind reading? Karen Hogan, writing for life.gaiam.com, provides this quick step-by-step:

1.      “Sit down at a writing table with three blank index cards.

2.      “Think about a decision you are currently grappling with and write three solutions for it, one on each card.

3.      “Turn the cards blank-side-up, shuffle them and place them face-down on a table.

4.      “Run your hands over the cards and notice the feeling of each card.

5.      “Assign a percentage to each card based on how powerfully you’re drawn to it.

6.      “Turn the cards over and take note of the answer with the highest percentage.”

When NOT to trust your intuition

There are plenty of occasions, psychologists’ report, when you should be wary, here are two.

1.      Test-taking. Studies have disproved the notion that “your first guess is your best guess;” and

2.      Worry. You’re thinking to yourself: “I’m so worried about ________, something must be wrong.” Said Mahoney: “People who worry excessively often confuse general anxiety with a specific fear. Researchers say that such fretting may feel like intuition but is just anxiety in disguise.”

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Superheroes: more good than harm?

Superheroes: more good than harm?

When I was a young boy, I had just one hero – Superman.  He possessed all of the qualities that our culture admires – he was honest, trustworthy, and helpful.  Of course, he also had x-ray vision and could bend steel with his bare hands.  Oh, and he could fly.  Did I mention that?

Back then, he was the only superhero on the block – he didn’t have to compete with Spiderman, the Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, Wonder Woman, Thor, or any number of new heroes who fill our screens. From my 10-year-old vantage point, Superman’s sole purpose (or so it seemed) was to take out the bad guys and “restore truth and justice, the American way.” Great work, if you can get it. 

Today, of course, our young ones have a bevy of superheroes from whom to choose – and their makeup and personalities are wide-ranging.  Reel back, for a moment, to 1951 when the first superhero movie appeared (yes, it was Superman).  It took 15 years before another superhero hit the big screen – Batman. Flash forward to the modern era when in 2013 there were seven superhero movies produced (Iron Man 3 is the highest grossing of the lot, having now pulled in more than $1.2 billion). And 2014-2015 is keeping pace. 

The recent superhero surge has re-ignited the debate about whether media violence (TV, movies, video games) fosters more violence in our society. The key question: does their presence lead young boys to be more aggressive or, instead, does superhero fantasy/worship build confidence and a stronger moral culture, one bent on helping others and taking out the bad guys? 

Psychologists line up on both sides of this aisle.  Let’s listen in.

Psychologist Sharon Lamb

In a piece written by Pam Willenz’s piece for eurekaalert.org, Lamb explains: "There is a big difference in the movie superhero of today and the comic book superhero of yesterday. . . . Today's superhero is too much like an action hero who participates in non-stop violence; he's aggressive, sarcastic and rarely speaks to the virtue of doing good for humanity. When not in superhero costume, these men, like Ironman, exploit women, flaunt bling and convey their manhood with high-powered guns." 

Psychologist Michael Thompson

Thompson takes the opposite view, as quoted in an article at comicsalliance.com: “The media has provided boys with particular superheroes to believe in and to attach their fantasies to, but the impulse to be a superhero is innate.”  In the article, Thompson added that similar themes have existed “at least since Homer. . . . So I just see boy play as mythic battling.” In a related PBS article, Thompson was quoted as saying: “[While] all boys have normal aggressive impulses which they learn to control, only a small percentage are overly aggressive and have chronic difficulty controlling those impulses.”

Psychologist Robin Rosenberg (editor of the Psychology of Superheroes and author of “Superhero Origins: What Makes Superheroes Tick and Why We Care”)

Writing for psychologytoday.com, Rosenberg aligns with Thompson when she explains: “Flying like Superman in virtual reality can make you more helpful in real life. That's what my colleagues and I found in a recent study” at Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab.

Psychologist Melanie Hargill

Hargill travels the middle road in an article she authored for kidzworld.co.za.  Said Hartgill: “. . . the average child spends more than 50% of their time out of school in front of the television and your average superhero program contains 32 acts of violence in a one-hour show, so when you start doing the math, that's a lot of violence being seen on a regular basis for many of our children. . . . [But] letting your child watch superhero programs on TV is not necessarily all negative providing you are aware of what they are watching and you discuss it with them. . . . Certainly by age 7, children should be able to distinguish between reality and fantasy and also truly understand the difference.  Whereas some children do this younger than 7, it is unlikely to occur under the age of 5.”

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LIFE LESSONS FROM SUPERHEROES*

Batman: Anyone can be a hero. Batman shows you don't have to be born with superpowers to be a hero. Bruce Wayne can't fly. He's not part-god. He just fights bad guys.

Power Rangers: Teamwork is essential. If you're going to defeat evil you need to work together. Although there is a leader, all of the Rangers need to work as a team.

The Hulk: Control your temper. Mr Green is a good guy until he gets angry. The message to kids? Keep that temper under control or it could get you into trouble.

Spider-Man: Be responsible. As Peter Parker's Uncle Ben says: "With great power comes great responsibility."

Superman: One man can make a difference. He might work alone, but he does what he can to make a difference.

Iron Man: No one is perfect. Tony Stark lacks discipline but he tries hard to overcome the worst parts of his personality with his genius mind and good intentions.

*drawn from an article written by Rachel Lewis for www.thenational.ae.  In the article, Lewis interviewed child development psychologist Naeema Jiwani from the Human Relations Institute in the United Arab Emirates.