Mind Your Body: Right on Cue

Humans are not so different from Pavlov's dog. Stimulus, response. Plop down in front of the TV, mouth waters, reach for Doritos. To alter our unhealthy habits, we need to recognize what triggers them (is it the TV, or boredom in general?) and reprogram our responses. New research shows that it pays to target some types of triggers over others.

Take junk-food snacking. Students at Utrecht University in the Netherlands confessed to indulging at home or at school, alone or with friends—all potential "situational" cues to eat. But they also blamed a whole separate class of cues: "motivational" drivers such as seeking enjoyment, avoiding boredom, and wanting to be sociable.

To test which were the true triggers of the munchies, the researchers formed two groups of students. People who specifically planned what to do when confronted by a motivational cue—e.g., "If I'm bored and I feel like a snack, I'll eat an apple"—ate more fruits and vegetables and 90 fewer calories of junk food over the following week. But those who plotted counterattacks on situational triggers ate just the same as ever.

The inadequacy of focusing on situational prompts "is probably because motivations are the critical cues," researcher Marieke Adriaanse explains. "You may be with friends at home when you snack but the crucial factor is that you're socializing." So if you're schmoozing clients, don't drop your guard just because you're at the office.

How can you pinpoint the key triggers for your own naughty habits? Keeping a diary of what drives you to misbehave may help. But you also need to pick substitute behaviors that assuage your original urge. Feeling lonely? A golden delicious couldn't hope to match the comfort oozing out of a double-cheese pizza, but some juicy gossip with a favorite friend might nearly hit the spot.

And why not test the method out on other undesirable activities? The physiological effects of smoking and drinking may make such habits harder to change, Adriaanse warns, but it's worth a (nonalcoholic) shot.—Susan Carnell, Ph.D.

Reflect and Deflect

Make excuses.

Overeat at social events? Maybe you're bad at saying no to your host. Come prepared with a good excuse—you ate before, you're allergic to cheese-flavored pretzels.

Distract yourself.

Itching for some ice cream? If you're bored or gloomy, try calling a friend for a mood boost. If you're pleasure-seeking, read or watch something funny or play a favorite song.

Don't overload.

Rather than bite off more than you can chew, start with just a few resolutions. Decide which unhealthy behaviors you do most often and most want to change.

Make excuses.

Overeat at social events? Maybe you're bad at saying no to your host. Come prepared with a good excuse—you ate before, you're allergic to cheese-flavored pretzels.

Distract yourself.

Itching for some ice cream? If you're bored or gloomy, try calling a friend for a mood boost. If you're pleasure-seeking, read or watch something funny or play a favorite song.

Don't overload.

Rather than bite off more than you can chew, start with just a few resolutions. Decide which unhealthy behaviors you do most often and most want to change.