Walk Across Texas

Have you ever thought about what keeps you from reaching your healthy lifestyle goals? Maybe you want to exercise the recommended 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, but something always happens. Have you ever thought that your environment can effect your choices?

There was a study done at a Boston hospital. Anne Thorndike a primary care physician on staff, believed she could improve the thousands of hospital staff’s eating habits without effecting their willpower or motivation, she simply changed the environment.

In the hospital cafeteria she altered the choice architecture, starting with the drinks. Originally the refrigerators located next to the cash registers were filled with only soda. She and her team added water to each refrigerator, in addition to that, they placed baskets of bottled water next to the food stations throughout the room. Soda was still available in the refrigerators , however, water was now available at all the food locations. Over 3 months, soda sales dropped 11.4 % and water bottle sales increased by 25.8 %. They also made similar adjustments with healthier food options and saw similar results.

We tend to make choices , not because of “what” they are but because of “where” they are. For example , if I walk into the kitchen and see cookies on the counter, I’ll pick up 2 or 3 and eat, even if I don’t feel hungry, because of where it is. However if we are trying to eat better having an eye catching bowl of fresh fruit on the counter, may help me be more inclined to pick up a piece of fruit and eat it. Environment can be the invisible hand that shapes human behavior.

Are there things in your environment holding you back from reaching your goal, can you put something that would be a better choice in its place? When it comes to physical activity, maybe make a goal to stay up moving until it gets dark, or limit your Television/social media time for certain times during the day, maybe you can only check social media when you’re walking on the treadmill or in your neighborhood ( just be careful) . Or maybe you’re like me and need your fruit on the counter to encourage you to eat it. Take a look at your environment , see if there’s some small changes you can make to help you reach better health.