Guest Report - A Google of Diets

There is no shortage on the number of diets available to people these days. It's seems like every week there is a new book published promising to solve the obesity epidemic, reduce your waistline and get you into those skinny jeans that want so badly. The internet is overloaded with thousands of cleverly named diets like the Aquavore Diet, Grapefruit Diet, even a "What Would Jesus Eat" Diet! You can find anything on Google, so I wasn't surprised to find a Google Diet. Yes, even Google has come up with a weight loss program for employees, and after reviewing it, I was happy to see that it wasn't about high tech tips, but just good common sense strategies.

The first step used was to draw visual attention to produce. An attractive salad bar or inviting fruit bowl grabs people's attention with color and beauty. This got employees to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables by two-thirds. A choice in plate sizes was offered between standard and small. A sign provided a gentle reminder to consumers that using larger plates tends to promote eating more. This option promoted an increase in use of smaller plates. 

Portion sizes with calorie amounts were also spelled out, as well as promoting water by conveniently locating it at eye level for easy access. And lastly, Google made sweets less visible behind opaque containers, rather than showcasing them for temptation. This resulted in a 9 percent drop in candy consumption in only one week!

So not only is there a Google of diets, but now a "Google Diet"! Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all diet. But using common sense strategies toward making healthier choices will lead you to "Feel Better and Live Longer!"