Design to encourage Healthy Eating

Neuroscience research makes it clear that:

• We are more likely to make healthy eating choices when we’re wearing more formal clothes (apparently, we associate wearing formal clothes with being self-controlled and organized and eat accordingly)—so dress for lunch accordingly.
• We’re also more likely to eat healthy when thin, human-like sculptures, such as those done by Giacometti, are in view.
• Seeing into places where food that hasn’t been served is on view can lead to unhealthy eating, consuming more food, so beware if you eat in a space that’s open to your kitchen’s cook/prep areas. Also, looking at food through transparent kitchen cabinet doors, etc., can encourage unhealthy eating.
• Looking at people who are eating makes it more likely we will eat/snack ourselves as does just having snacks on view and readily accessible.
• People are likely to eat in a more healthy way when they can see themselves in a mirror while eating.
• When we’re in warm light or looking at warmer colours we eat in a less healthy way; the same goes for when light levels are lower and when we’re listening to the sort of music we like.We have more self-control in spaces with more natural light and that are more brightly lit.
• We’re more likely to eat unhealthy foods when we’re in cluttered spaces.
• Humans are more likely to eat healthy when looking at nature (vs. urban) scenes and unhealthily when they see images, sculptures, etc. they feel are “cute.”
• When we feel crowded we make less healthy food-related decisions.
• In general, we’ll make less healthy choices when spaces are louder than we will if they’re quieter.
• We’re also more likely to eat healthy when we hear quiet nature sounds.
• We tend to have less healthy diets when we enter our homes through a door that leads directly into our kitchen and when we spend more time in our kitchen.
• When we’re standing up we’re likely to eat less of foods we like the tastes of.
• Humans are likely to eat less when they are aware of all food options before they begin to select any, so if you are planning to place food around your home during a party and not in a single central buffet area where all alternatives are readily visible, be ready to prepare more food.