Kaitlin Woolley

Professor of Marketing and Management Communication

But timely research from Kaitlin Woolley, a professor of marketing at Cornell University who specializes in motivation science and decision making, provides a few insights to avoid temptation: think about the short-term costs of indulging. 

Woolley says:

“There's a well-known proverb, ‘a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.’ We suggest this mantra isn't helpful for people looking to maintain health goals over the holidays and into the New Year.

“My research finds that people indulge less (e.g., drink less alcohol, eat less sugar) when they think about the immediate, short-term costs of indulging. Instead of bringing to mind long-term costs of indulging, like how eating too much could lead to weight problems down the road, thinking about the short-terms costs, like indigestion, mood swings, or lethargy from eating too many cookies at your next holiday party, can be more effective for sticking with your health goals.

“In one study, we reminded half of participants of the short-term costs of eating sugary foods: a blood sugar spike and crash that would leave them wiped out. For the other half of participants, we reminded them of the long-term consequences, such as the risk for diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Those who read about the short-term costs were less likely to have a sugary snack that afternoon than those who read about the long-term costs.”