How to Eat Healthier

If you’re wanting to eat healthier, but are having trouble resisting the allure of junk food, there is good news. A new study in the Journal of Marketing Research says that being exposed to the scent of junk food for at least two minutes can help you make healthier choices.

It seems counter-intuitive, but this research suggests that if you smell a food long enough to push through your initial craving, you’ll no longer crave it. In one experiment, researchers exposed about 250 people to either cookie or strawberry scents, then asked which food they would be more likely to choose. Almost 45% of people who were exposed to the cookie scent for less than 30 seconds said they would choose cookies, but only 22% of those exposed for longer than two minutes would prefer the dessert choice. (The reverse was true for people exposed to strawberry scent, but the difference was not statistically significant.)

Perhaps a delicious smell can stimulate a craving, but could it also satisfy the craving with a bit more time? The lesson may be the next time you order food, take your time.

Taken from “The Surprising Way to Resist the Lure of Junk Food” by Jamie Ducharme ( https://time.com/5506851/how-to-stop-eating-junk-food/? ). The photo came from that site.

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