If you could just see yourself, you'd probably put down that seventh slice of pizza, pass on the potato chips and just order the salad. Research suggests that watching what you eat--as in looking in the mirror and really watching what you eat--can help you choose healthier foods.
In a recent study, with empty stomachs and a plate full of bagels, 320 college students at Iowa State University were asked to taste-test regular, low-fat and no-fat cream cheese. Half of the students also faced a mirror. Psychologists Brad Bushman and Stacey Sentyrz then measured how much of the cheese had been consumed. Participants in both rooms sampled the light and no-fat versions with little restraint, but those in mirrored rooms were much less eager to slather on the full-fat cream cheese. Compared to the neighboring noshers, the looking-glass crowd ate 32 percent less full-fat cream cheese.