Don’t feel too guilty about breaking your New Year Resolution of healthy eating – it’s not your fault! 
A scientist has made a strong link between the colourful packaging of fatty foods and the brain’s decision-making process when it comes to eating.
Neuroscientist Wolfram Shultz says the colourful and attractive packaging on unhealthy foods triggers a chemical in our brain related to feeling good.
He believes selling high calorie food in plain packaging would go a long way towards fighting obesity.
He said: “Colourful wrapping of high energy foods of course makes you buy more of that stuff and once you have it in your fridge, it’s in front of you every time you open the fridge and ultimately you’re going to eat it and eat too much.”
I’m not sure that’s the only thing that makes me eat too much of the bad stuff – after all, my worst crime is too much cheese and that’s not colourful at all.
However, maybe I should give it a try… All the fruit and veg in my fridge is going to be wrapped in colourful present wrapping paper from now on, while the chocolate bars and crisps will be put into brown paper bags! I’m calling it the packaging diet…
Wolfram Shultz, is the joint winner of a €1 million (£864,600) prize as part of a team studying how the brain reacts to and learns from treats and rewards.
All I know, is how my body reacts to treats and rewards and it’s not good! I’m off to buy some wrapping paper.