研究表明 燈光會影響人們對食物的選擇
It's no secret that sticking to your healthy diet is tougher when you eat out. There are the massive restaurant portion sizes, and sneaky calorie bombs (buffalo chicken salad, we're looking at you!) — and now new research suggests ambient lighting can trick you into eating more too.
衆所周知，在外面吃飯的時候還想保持健康飲食是比較困難的。飯店的食物分量很大，卡路里也極高（布法羅雞肉沙拉，我們說的就是你！）。如今，新的研究表明，室內的燈光也許會令你不知不覺吃更多的東西。For the study, published in The Journal of Marketing Research, the researchers began by looking at the orders of 160 diners at four chain restaurants. Half the diners were seated in dimly-lit rooms, and half were seated in well-lit areas. The diners who were sitting in low light ordered 39% more calories. Meanwhile the people in brighter surroundings were 16% to 24% more likely to choose healthy menu items (think grilled fish or white meat and veggies). In follow-up experiments, the researchers replicated these results with hundreds of colleged-aged students.
在發佈於《行銷研究期刊》的這項研究中，調查人員研究了來自4家連鎖飯店的160名用餐者的點菜單。有一半的用餐者坐在燈光昏暗的房間，另一半坐在燈光明亮的房間。前者點餐的卡路里總量要比後者高出39%。而且，在明亮環境裏的人有16%-24%的機率會傾向於選擇健康食品（例如烤魚、烤白肉和素菜）。在後續實驗中，調查員又研究了數百名大學生，得到了同樣的結果。
What is it about brightness that leads us to eat smarter? "We feel more alert in brighter rooms and therefore tend to make more healthful, forward-thinking decisions," lead author Biswas, PhD, explained in a press release.
燈光的昏暗程度究竟是不是我們更明智地選擇食物的原因呢？首席作者比斯瓦斯博士在一場媒體發佈會上解釋道："在明亮的房間裏，人們警惕度會更高，會做出更有前瞻性的決定。"
In fact, the researchers found that when diners in dimly-lit rooms were given a coffee placebo (or simply asked to be more alert) they were just as likely as their peers in the well-lit rooms to make healthy food choices.
事實上，調查員發現，當向坐在燈光昏暗房間裏的用餐者提供咖啡安慰劑（或者僅僅告誡他們學會謹慎）時，他們也會像那些坐在燈光明亮的房間裏的人一樣，選擇健康食品。It seems making healthy choices has more to do with the brightness of your mental state than the brightness of the room. So don't swear off candle-lit dinners yet.
這樣看來，是否能做出健康的選擇更大程度上取決於自己的心理狀態而不是室內燈光的昏暗程度。所以，不要再牴觸燭光晚餐啦。The best way to avoid overindulging is to make yourself feel more alert, said co-author Wansink, PhD, the director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab. That could mean going for a brisk walk before dinner, or splashing some water on your face for an instant energy boost.
康奈爾食物與品牌實驗室的負責人、合著者萬辛克博士表示，預防大吃大喝最好的方式是讓自己時時刻刻處於警覺狀態。也就是說，我們可以在晚餐前快步走一會兒，或者在臉上灑點水，瞬間清醒一下。
