Snack On Junk Food Often? The Secret To Healthy Eating May Lie In Tricking Your Brain | Nudge

The supermarket theory is very accurate. There were times i simply grabbed bags of chips, paid for them, went home, regretted when my mind decided how unhealthy they were, and i threw them away into the bin. 2024 resolution : eat healthy, no more snacking nonsense. Health is everything.

If you don’t bring in junk food, then the war is already half won

I think it's best to mix healthy foods with tasty unhealthy foods. E.g. a hot pot inspired stew made with hot pot base and a ton of vegetables. Curry sauce cooked with lots of vegetables and lean protein. Its important to make healthy foods tasty so that you naturally crave it. Once you are hooked, you can slowly incorporate less of the unhealthy stuff

I remember visiting Singapore in 1999, the hotel had the most spectacular fruit buffet I have ever seen in my entire life. The other table was also stacked with a combination of Yum Char delicacies. The bbq pork buns were just divine! I can imagine why people would over indulge in Singapore, the food is so good and affordable. However, these days over processed snacks are cheaper and more addictive, overriding the brain's ability to regulate. I think here in NZ we have the same problem.. the convenience and snacky foods are affordable and addictive. We live off our hidden emotions we don't address, we just numb ourselves.

I do that for my kids ..their snacks they got from school/ class friends I put them in a tin container…it’s there on the counter…but they don’t touch it. I’m working on my one kid who loves sweet/ savory snacks..even cookies they made themselves they just ate one.im hoping they continue on the journey of enjoying these snacks occasionally & continue to eat healthy rest of the time

I remember when working in Asia, my team members office desk drawers were full of all types of food keeping them all day snacking. It was like managing a team of squirrels 😂😂😂

It would be really interesting to see how neurodiversity works with these thoughts. I have noticed in myself (belngind t the 20-29 working age group) that my unhealthy eating is after work when I'm drained and lack energy to cook or find healthy food lot less interesting and rewarding than unhealthy. My adhd also brings another spin to it: I cannot eat boring food without feeling sick, same with the variety of fruits that are "safe food" when you are in s country that doesn't naturally grow many fruits -> fruits aren't that good especially during winter and local fruits and berries are really expensive.

The problem is that healthy food is expensive and the current state of the world with the lack of future perspective for young people like them not receiving (high enough) retirement pensions makes them want to die early anyways, so might aswell eat junkfood

00:10 Nudging towards healthier eating through small changes and understanding brain behavior 02:54 Two types of nudges, system one and system two, influence our food choices in supermarkets. 05:22 Priming influences food choices 07:53 Our brain is wired to seek out high-fat and sweet foods due to their high energy content. 10:33 Environmental cues can prompt snacking even when not hungry. 13:11 Making healthier food more visible and obstructing the view of unhealthy snacks can nudge people towards healthier eating choices. 15:14 Social experiment testing snacking tendencies and nudging healthy eating 17:14 Nudges, such as placing healthy food options at the beginning of the buffet line, can influence people's food choices. 19:32 Nudging towards healthy food choices 21:31 Introducing obstacles can nudge towards healthier eating choices Nudging towards healthier eating through small changes and understanding brain behavior - The prevalence of obesity is on the rise, but small changes in behavior can make a big difference in tackling this issue. - Understanding the influence of our brains on eating habits and utilizing simple and affordable strategies can lead to better eating choices. Two types of nudges, system one and system two, influence our food choices in supermarkets. - System one nudges rely on automatic decisions triggered by front of pack labels and product placement, while system two nudges depend on slowing down and reflecting on nutritional panels. - Type one nudges are faster and more effective but may not lead to the healthiest choices, while type two nudges require more deliberate thinking and may lead to healthier choices. Priming influences food choices - Priming affects our first impression of a space and influences subsequent decisions - Neuroscientists have found that dopamine cells in the brain are active when drawn to unhealthy food Our brain is wired to seek out high-fat and sweet foods due to their high energy content. - The brain is designed to release dopamine when sensing high calorie, energy-rich food, making us crave it. - Repeatedly eating high-fat, high-sugar foods in a certain environment can strengthen neural connections, leading to automatic cravings in that environment. Environmental cues can prompt snacking even when not hungry. - Associating certain environments with food can lead to mindless snacking. - Nudging towards healthier choices at work can help tackle obesity. Making healthier food more visible and obstructing the view of unhealthy snacks can nudge people towards healthier eating choices. - Healthier food in transparent boxes taps into the convenience heuristic, making it the default option for snacks. - Obstructing the view of unhealthy snacks prevents craving and leads to a significant drop in their consumption, as proven in a Google social experiment. Social experiment testing snacking tendencies and nudging healthy eating - Experiment involves observing snacking behavior over 4 days with different types of food - Experiment also testing the impact of presenting healthy food at the beginning of a buffet Nudges, such as placing healthy food options at the beginning of the buffet line, can influence people's food choices. - Placing utensils and plates at the beginning serves as a form of nudge and anchor point for consumers. - Experiment results showed that nudging office workers towards healthier snacks and food options had a positive effect. Nudging towards healthy food choices - Nudge condition resulted in significantly more people choosing healthy options at buffet - Placing fruit and salad options close to the front of a cafeteria resulted in participants eating nearly 200 fewer calories every day Introducing obstacles can nudge towards healthier eating choices - Shifting healthy options to the front increases the likelihood of choosing them - Nudging can lead to significant changes in people's food choices and potentially save costs on healthcare expenses

Personally eating healthy is a lifestyle. Calorie counting makes my mental health deteriorate so is rather choose healthier choices over the rest. I.e.g more fruits and produce in my grocery list, NEVER shopping when im hungry, choosing wholemeal/multigrain options, protein bars over chips, ‘healthier’ peanut butter over skippy. Another way is to be very very familiar with the grocery store im gg to, so i can avoid the snack/processed food aisle. Another way is to just exercise regularly so u can just eat whatever u want to ! When i started doing all of these a year ago, Ion really get cravings anymore except the day after my period, This is just my take.

These concepts have been known for a long time but it is important to re-affirm them.

Another insight: supermarkets often use yellow light, especially for the fruits n veg section to make it look more fresh

Singaporeans are "trapped" on this tiny island of ours so we resort to eating our feelings as a form of escape. In addition, food is the only constant connection left in our ever changing local landscape, with things being torn down and replaced with the new. The local food industry capitalizses on this fact by bombarding the public with advertisements. Food advertising is everywhere and even on the airwaves. We're probably one of the few countries in the world that have DJs talking about scrumptious dinner buffets at 7am in the morning! Limit the media bombardment then people will have a chance to make better dietary choices.

13:35 What I think would happen is simple as you specifically closed that box I would initially go and open it up to check whats in, unless of course thee is another co worker from a different dept or something watching me lol It would be much more effective if you raise the height of that box and use a darker colour box for the unhealthy ones with more attractive and visible healthier options

17:40 & 18:20 The background music is marvelous! Is it violin? Remind me of the dance show scene on Step Up 1.

What about not having snacks in the office? Of not providing unhealthy food?

I love this topic!

I think if both the transparent and opaque box have lids, it will produce more fair results. The unhealthy percentage dropped very low because lots of people will think they shouldn't be opening the box.

I watched this on the Active SG gym TV.

Its important to also price the healthy food right, otherwise the cycle continues