Why knowledge sucks!

If there would be an expression I would like see more often it would be "I knew wrong"

In my native Swedish you can't say it, and I am pretty sure English wouldn't allow it either.

I knew something, but now I know different. But I didn't think. I knew.

That's what strikes me everyday when reading about new diets and how to loose 10 or 20 pounds in a month or two. People know so much. But they know wrong.

Diet reading soars in sales. The South Beach Diet (number 12) has just been surpassed by Why French Women don't get fat (number 2!!!) on the best 20 selling books at Amazon. And the only reason some of the Atkins titles aren't there is probably only because everybody has one.

We thirst for knowledge. But still so many fail in loosing their pounds. Why? Because we only consume the knowledge that tells us not to change our behavior.

What's so mindblowing about Atkins, GI and diets alike? Well what about eating as you always have done, only choosing a low-carb alternative. It's pretty easy. Therefore we love the knowledge.

The problem is that if it possibly is nothing but the truth, it's not definately the whole truth. In last week's number of the gossip magazine US Weekly we were enlighted about our favorite celebs diets. What was the clue? Well in 9 times of 10 it turned out exercising 6-7 days a week and a low calorie diet. No "eat as much fat and protein you want diet" in sight.

Using knowledge about Atkins alows you to adopt a low carb lifestyle. And it may help you loose a couple of pounds. But it's nothing compared to a low calorie diet in combination with daily exercise. But that's a changed behavior, and what could be a better driver to acquire more knowledge than the possibility to turn down such a change. Even if it's faulse or unsufficiant knowledge.

Too many innovation marketing strategies are built around the assumption that knowledge changes attitude that changes behavior. It may be the case, but often it's not. It's far too complicated and it may well turn out in a completely other direction. Instead, in the case of diets, doing how the celebs do, without thinking of why, can be your best option. Don't think, just do it.