Many will acknowledge that candy is empty calories food and not good for health, but many still eat them. I found one study (done by University of Illinois) pretty interesting and in fact it may be helpful in helping you to eat less chocolates, ice cream or sweets.
What the researchers did was to have candy, which are wrapped chocolate, in different bowls – some in clear bowl, some in opaque (not clear) bowl, some are on the desk and some are further away. All of the bowls had covers and at the end of each day, the bowl was topped up with the candy again. The study target was a group of forty office women working at the University of Illinois. Source.
Here is their average daily candy consumption in each setting:
- Clear bowl on desk: Nearly 8 pieces
- Clear bowl farther away: Nearly 6 pieces
- Opaque bowl on desk: Nearly 5 pieces
- Opaque bowl farther away: 3 pieces
The first and the fourth outcome are expected. One tend to eat more when the candy is clearly within sight and reach.
However, the second and third were unexpected. Even the clear bowl is further away, they actually ate more. Probably the women prefer to take several pieces from those bowls to make the trip worth while compared with taking one at a time when the bowls were on their desks.
From the results, “out of sight, out of mind” is a good approach to control what we eat:
- So, consider tucking candy in a covered cupboard and put them at the highest shelf.
- Use the same concept for healthy food including fruits. Instead of hiding fruits in your fridge, put them in a glass bowl on your desk.
At the end of the day, you will find yourself eat less candy and eat more fruits. In short, visibility and proximity do influence what we eat and how much we eat. Hopefully, this simple tip will be helpful in your diet control plan.
Category: Health 
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sylvesteR // Dec 6, 2007 at 2:57 AM
Hmmm, not all chocolates are bad for health. for instance, the Dutch chocolates can improve blood circulation and also helps in maintaining blood pressure. It’s bitter and rather costly but it is known to cure cancer. Besides, if you were to place oranges in front of a person, if one is too lazy, he/she won’t go for it.
Angie Tan // Dec 6, 2007 at 3:21 PM
I agree with the finding!!
I recently found a new love with dark chocolate but try to limit myself to taking one piece per day.
However, recently I caved in and bought a bar of milk chocolate. However, it is sitting in my fridge and I’m not touching it. I don’t plan to either!!
Somehow, whenever I feel I have the crave, I just go and look at it. And then, try to opt for fruits. LOL!!
Lisan // Dec 6, 2007 at 11:26 PM
Hmmmmmm…….you give me a good idea of placing a weighting machine and a treadmill next to my table. So whenever I feel like running I just run and when I’m heavier any moment, I run again! Hahahahahaha! Kidding…. :-)
PS: Can even put dumb bells next to me.