In its apparently never-ending quest for health, happiness, and statistics, Google studied consumption of its employees’ favorite candy: m&m’s®. Organic figs, nuts, and other healthy snacks were placed in clear containers; m&m’s® were put into opaque containers. After seven weeks, the 2,000 Google employees in the New York office consumed 3.1 million fewer calories in m&m’s® form. That was the equivalent of nine vending machine-size bags of m&m’s® for each of the 2,000 employees in the seven-week period!
I have only minimal will power when it comes to m&m’s®, so I rarely buy them. If, however, they are placed in front of me (e.g., at an event or given as a gift for, say, my birthday), I give myself permission to eat them. Kathy and Annette gave me a vending machine-size bag of m&m’s® for Christmas as well as an opaque container for them. After we took down the Christmas tree, I put the little bagful of m&m’s® into the container and set it on the kitchen counter in plain sight. (This was a gift, so my rules gave me permission to eat the candy.) Google’s research is right: That little bag of m&m’s® lasted more than a week. The letters on the container are far less tempting than those colorful little chocolate bits in an open dish, and I pour fewer pieces into my hand than I grab from an open bowl. Go, Google!
I bravely purchased an 11-ounce bag of Easter m&m’s and put the little pastel temptresses into the opaque jar. After more than two weeks, nearly half of the bag’s contents is still in the jar, even with “Chocoholic Ted” helping me eat them.
