In the last chapter of The Shangri-La Diet, I discussed what environmental changes my theory of weight control suggested. An article in the LA Times about how to reduce obesity by changing the environment contains some ideas that strike me as unwise:
laws regulating portion size
but also a good one, from Brian Wansink.
A 2006 study in the International Journal of Obesity [by Wansink and colleagues] found that when candy was placed in a clear dish, people ate 71% more than when it was in an opaque dish. The same study found that the closer the food, the more likely it would be eaten. . . . “We need to make small changes in our environment. That can be as small as moving fruits and vegetables to the middle shelf in the refrigerator” [said Wansink].
In Japan — where portion sizes are smaller without the need for legislation — most new refrigerators have three compartments separately accessible from the outside. Two are above freezing, one is below. Wansink’s comment suggests not only that such refrigerators are a good idea but also that one of the above-freezing doors should be transparent. Behind the transparent door you’d put fruits and vegetables.
Thanks to Dave Lull.