Reflecting on what you eat will improve your eating habits. Literally. So next time you're alone with a bagel and a tub of cream cheese, don't trust willpower to keep you from digging in. Instead, take a look at yourself. People shown a mirror eat less unhealthy food than do those who can't see their reflections, Iowa State University researchers have found. The results are so dramatic that researcher Brad Bushman, Ph.D., has installed one on his own refrigerator door. Bushman and company asked college students to try full-fat, low-fat and fat-free cream cheeses. Subjects in a room with a mirror noshed less of the full-fat spread than those with no mirror. Then, the team asked grocery shoppers to taste full-fat, reduced-fat and fat-free margarines. Those snacking over a mirrored tabletop ate less of the fatty type. The looking glass, reports psychology professor Bushman, prompts self-focused attention, so people compare their behavior to their own internal standards. Failing to match standards—say, of being a healthful eater—creates discomfort that forces people to avoid such a discrepancy. Curiously, while mirror use cut consumption of high-fat foods, it did not effect use of the other products. Still, of the mirror on his refrigerator door, Bushman says: "It really works."
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