Using your surroundings to change behavior without relying on willpower.
What the evidence says
- Environment changes behavior without requiring willpower1,2
- Effect persists over time (not just novelty)3
- Works on nonconscious level — can't just "decide" to ignore proximity3
- Asymmetry principle: make healthy food visible/close, unhealthy food hidden/distant2
- Changing the home food environment (reducing high-fat foods, increasing low-fat foods) produces weight loss in untreated household members — dietary changes spread passively through shared food cues, unlike exercise which requires more self-initiated behavior change4