If your New Year ’s solving is to consume healthier , you should be take mastery of your solid food — in the literal sense . A new study find that if you service yourself , you feed smaller portions of junk food and desserts , as theScience of UsandThe Wall Street Journalreport . Thestudy , led by USC merchandising researcherLinda Hagen , found that the more people are physically involve in serving their food , the less interested they are in unhealthy snacks .
The research worker tested their surmise out over the trend of five tests . In one , they invited students to aid themselves to either dried yield or Reese ’s Pieces off a table . Sometimes , the table setup required bookman to outflank their own snack out of a bowl , while other times , the cup were already set out with 45 - gram serving of the bite . The research worker later measured how much of the snacks in bowls or loving cup had been take . In another run , people rated how healthy they felt after eating certain snacks , either pre - portioned or not .
Overall , the researchers found that participants were more prepared to choose large portions of unhealthy nutrient if they did n’t portion the snacks out themselves . But there was no essence when people served themselves levelheaded food .
Eating choices affect how people see themselves , so when people choose to eat on unhealthy food , they feel bad about themselves . former researchhas found that eating in front of a mirror can help make citizenry enjoy dessert less , since people have to confront their own choices in an contiguous agency . The researchers find that multitude mat less duty for their choices when served by someone else , and thus they matt-up proficient about wipe out insalubrious food .
However , slice up your own cake is n’t the only path to make healthy selection . Other studieshave found the upright way of life to increase ego control is not to exercise with child willpower in the face of temptations but to take by those temptations altogether . So put aside the pie . But if you must , do n’t let anyone else slice it for you .
[ h / tScience of Us ]
