Fun and Fitness for the 40-Something

Just about every fast-food menu offers healthier options like salads these days, right? Well, it turns out that such options may actually drive the sales of unhealthier choices.

A recent blurb in the New York Times reports on an upcoming study that suggests “the presence of healthy options on a menu can induce some diners to eat less healthily than they otherwise would.” According to the Times,

“[i]n one study, college students were given one of two menus. One menu featured French fries, chicken nuggets and a baked potato; the other included those same items as well as a salad. The French fries, widely perceived as the least healthful option, were three times as popular with students selecting from the menu that had the salad as they were with the other group.”

Surprisingly, the “diners most affected by the presence of a healthful item were those with the highest levels of self-control.” Those with less self-control, who were more likely to order fries from a salad-free menu, sometimes opted for the salad when it was available.

You know what they say—there’s no accounting for taste. But the scientists just keep on trying!