LeBron James started playing professional basketball in Cleveland in 2003. But when his free agency came up in 2010, he had to make a choice: Cleveland or Miami? He chose to take his talents to Miami. After four seasons (and two championships) there, his contract was up again and he had another choice: Miami or return to Cleveland? He chose Cleveland. Then after another four years (and one championship), he was given another choice: Stay in Cleveland or go to L.A? For the third time, he chose the latter. Now we may know why.
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, have determined that toddlers 21 to 27 months old experience something called the "recency bias." (OK, LeBron's no toddler, but ) That means when they're asked if they would rather have cake or broccoli, 85.2% of the time, when answering verbally, they'll choose broccoli over cake because it was the last option they heard.
So if you have a toddler, take advantage of this verbal quirk. (Older than that, their memory and verbal skills become more intertwined and developed, and they are less likely to fall for that trick.)
Study after study shows that if young children try veggies more than once, they can develop a taste for them that will carry into healthier eating habits as they grow up. We might even suggest the same approach for any team looking to round up LeBron for his last seasons in the NBA. Well, it's worth a try.
Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic.
(c)2019 Michael Roizen, M.D.
and Mehmet Oz, M.D.