Can Your Environment Affect the Way You Eat?

How and where you eat matters.

Have you ever fallen victim to candy at the checkout counter?
Your environment, whether it's noise, physical surroundings or other people, can have a big effect on the way you eat; it could be negatively affecting your health, and likely your waistline.

The following environmental factors could be hindering your health:

Supermarket Ploys

It's not a coincidence that the most pricey and tempting foods are positioned on the supermarket shelves at eye-level.

There is a science to the arrangement of products in stores, and if you're unaware, it could affect not only your wallet, but your health too.

Supermarket savvy:

• Always write a shopping list and stick to it - don't be tempted by the "impulse zones", such as the checkout counters
• Never shop hungry, as you'll be much more likely to buy foods you don't need
• Avoid buying in bulk (these are often some of the most unhealthy foods) or buying snacks, sodas, and foods not on your list
• "Shop the edges" - the natural, unprocessed foods like fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, and dairy products tend to be found around the edges of the supermarket

Fast Food

The reasons big fast food restaurants have red signs and furnishing:

• Red is an appetite stimulant (as are other bright colors like orange and yellow),
  which causes people to eat faster
• Blues and greens have the opposite effect and decrease appetite
• When the lighting and music were dimmed in a fast food restaurant, customers ate less and rated the food as more enjoyable ¹

Avoid the pitfalls:

• Avoid restaurants that encourage you to eat quickly or eat more
• Try practicing "mindful eating" by focusing on the food you're eating instead of reading, chatting, or moving around. Chew slowly and notice the taste and texture of the food you are eating
• Use the same principles when eating at home: eat in rooms with calm colors, turn down the lighting and music. Focus on your food rather than watching TV or working while eating

Social situations

It's not just the physical environment that can affect your eating habits.

Research has shown that people who surround themselves with healthier people are more likely to be in better shape themselves, and vice versa.²

Example

• If you don’t feel comfortable drinking in a bar with your friends, volunteer instead to be the designated driver
• If you can't say no to the work colleague who offers you cake, keep some healthy snacks at your desk so you're less tempted

Your environment plays a huge part of contributing to your health. Take control and be aware of the influence your surroundings have on you.

Sources

1. Wansink B,van Ittersum K. Fast food restaurant lighting and music can reduce calorie intake and increase satisfaction. Psychological Reports. 2012; 111: 228-232.
2. Shoham D, Tong L Lamerson PJ, et al. An Actor-Based Model of Social Network Influence on Adolescent Body Size, Screen Time, and Playing Sports. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (6): e39795.