Put what you need within reach and move what you don't want to touch farther away; don't count on holding back in the moment

Cost

Free, and it takes a few minutes once. Put your phone in another room, and lay your books and computer out on the desk.

What you get

A Cochrane review included 24 randomized trials. Placing food farther away reduced the amount eaten, with a standardized mean difference of −0.60 (95% CI −0.84 to −0.36, the plausible range; 12 studies, 1098 people, low-certainty evidence), a medium effect. Reducing the number of options lowered the choice of that food even more, with a standardized mean difference of −1.13 (95% CI −1.90 to −0.37, 3 studies, 154 people, low-certainty evidence). A regression analysis showed that the farther away and the fewer the options, the stronger the effect.

Notes

The reason for rating it B: all 24 studies in this review were about food, and none were about alcohol or cigarettes. 14 were done in a lab, and all came from high-income countries. So carrying "move it away and you touch it less" over to phones and games is a step by extension, with no direct trial. One thing, keeping your phone out of sight, has been tested directly; see §3.1 (turn off nonessential notifications and keep your phone out of sight while working).

Evidence grade

B : Supported by research but without a precise number, or based on small or single studies.

Sources

1. Hollands GJ, Carter P, Anwer S, et al. (2019). Altering the availability or proximity of food, alcohol, and tobacco products to change their selection and consumption. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 9, CD012573. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012573.pub3

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 4, tip 10. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer