Cluttered Kitchen Can Make Us Overeat

We make think that we’re totally in control of our decisions and choices throughout the day, but science is constantly finding out just has persuasive our environment is. We are subtly influenced by everything around us–colors, people, sounds, smells. For example, when we hold a cold cup in our hands, we’re more likely to view someone else as being a cold person, than if we were holding a cup cup.

Another study found that one of the best ways to stop yourself from giving in to unhealthy food choices is simply to put those foods in hard to reach / see places. If they’re out of sight, and healthier food is easier to reach, we opt for the good stuff — this also implies we are naturally lazy. A new study has found another cause of overeating–a cluttered kitchen. NPR has more:

“The notion that places ? such as cluttered offices or disorganized homes ? can be modified to help us control our food intake is becoming an important solution in helping us become more slim by design,” report Brian Wansink of Cornell University and his colleagues in their write-up of the study.

“We think we’re smarter than the environment around us,” Wansick said. “That’s why these external cues are so powerful.” We’re often not aware that they’re influencing our behavior.

We all know how difficult it can be to exert willpower consistently, and perhaps that’s because we’re constantly fighting our environment. Perhaps the right answer is to change the area you live in. Check out the full post for more.