Are Reusable Grocery Bags Ruining Your Diet?

I'm all for being green and reusable grocery bags are a great way to help you do your part but is it possible that they are destroying your diet? Research from the Harvard School of Business found that people who bring reusable grocery bags to the store are more likely to purchase junk food than if they use the store provided bags. The researchers say this is due to something called "licensing" which means people are more likely to indulge after they have made a 'good' choice. A little pat on the back, if you will. The fascinating part is that the research also shows that if people were using a reusable bag because the store required them to, the urge to reward seemed to disappear. No one wants to add extra calories to their diet! Uma Karmarker, Ph.D., the study's author, says that if you find yourself reaching for junk, try to reward yourself in other ways. Her study also shows that people are more likely to buy organic if they bring reusable bags. So, shift your reward focus. Grab some season fruits and vegetables or use the money you save from not buy junk to buy a few more organic products. Look at how beautiful the produce section is. Reward yourself freshness and colour! Your waistline AND the environment will thank you.