Most nutrition education isn’t very effective. People know that an apple is better than a Snickers bar, but they often eat the Snickers bar anyway. After conducting hundreds of studies on the psychology of how and why we eat, I’ve seen that it’s good to understand nutrition, but it’s much better to change your eating environment. Doing so can help you make better choices without even thinking about it.
Part 1
We all know children can be stubbornly habitual in what they want to eat. If kids had French fries yesterday, they want them again today. We came up with a simple way to interrupt this default. Instead of asking kids what they want, what if we ask them about someone they admire?
We studied this with elementary school–aged children one summer. We treated 22 kids to apple slices or fries at a fast-food restaurant. The first week, 20 of them ordered French fries, and two ordered apple slices. But the next week, we asked, “What would Batman eat: apple slices or French fries?” After they answered for Batman, we asked them what they wanted. This time, the number of kids who ordered apple slices jumped from two to ten— almost half of them.
If you ask yourself before deciding between the salad and the cheesy bacon fries, “What would my role model choose?” you’ll be a lot less tempted. Thinking about what a well-liked person would do makes us less indulgent.
Part 2
If we knew what a skinny person’s kitchen looked like, we could set up our own kitchens in a similar way. Once we got into people’s homes, we took pictures of everything: their dishes, sinks, refrigerator shelves, counters, snacks, pet-food dishes, tables, lighting — even random items held up by magnets on their refrigerators. Then we spent eight months coding these kitchens to see what thin people do differently.
We wondered if big kitchens turn us into big people. But it turns out that kitchen size isn’t the problem. It’s what you see in the kitchen. The average woman who kept potato chips on the counter weighed eight pounds more than her neighbor who didn’t. “In sight, in stomach.” We eat what we see, not what we don’t.
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined part “less indulgent”?
A.self-confident | B.self-controlled |
C.self-estimated | D.self-centered |
What’s the writer’s purpose of writing this passage?
A.To give advice on how to become slim. |
B.To warn people that nutrition education is important for our daily life. |
C.To tell us that someone children admire may influence their eating habits. |
D.To introduce some innovative ways to help us eat healthier. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Changing your eating environment is more effective than understanding nutrition in order to eat healthier. |
B.The role model way has no effect on children at all when they choose what to eat. |
C.Setting up our kitchens just like the slim person’s will help us eat healthier. |
D.It is not the size of the kitchen but what we see in the kitchen that turns us into big people. |
What is the best title for part 2?
A.The Slim Person’s Kitchen |
B.How to decorate your Kitchen |
C.Kitchen size makes a difference |
D.Big kitchens are more popular |