Several years ago Google did a study. They wanted to see if the amount of M & M's candy consumed by it's employees changed, when a clear glass jar filled with candy was changed to an opaque jar. Also, the jar was moved to a more remote location (but still accessible), and healthy snacks like nuts and fruits were put into the clear glass jar.
The results were astounding. In the New York office of 2,000 employees consumed 3.1 million fewer calories during a seven week period. This is scientific evidence that visually seeing something makes you more likely to want it, and in the case of M & M's, more likely to consume it.
Are you trying to watch what you eat, stick to healthier snacks, trying to avoid sweets? Here are some ideas. Get them out of your sight! Put candy in a drawer in the refrigerator, or even in the freezer. Have healthy snacks front and center, maybe a fruit bowl on the counter in the kitchen, or cut up veggies in the front of your refrigerator.
Easy access and visibility to healthy foods make one more likely to go for them. If the candy is in a bowl in your living room, chances are you will take a piece when you pass it. It's so much easier to put it away where it's not in your face.
I have a favorite candy, scotch kisses from See's. If I had them out and available I could eat a pound in a few days. If I have them, I freeze them, and stick them in the back of the freezer so they're not visible every time I open the door. The old saying, "Out of sight, out of mind," is really true. The only ones that did not benefit from Project M & M's is the company itself, that must have lost a lot of business!
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