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E live in an environment where everything around us colludes to keep us unhealthy. Many of us spend hours in our cars travelling to work. We then sit glued to a computer, only getting up when hunger or Mother Nature calls. By the time we leave work it’s a quick drivethru or app order for dinner because we’re simply too exhausted to cook. We put our feet up in front of the TV, mindlessly consuming the processed food until we trudge off to bed and repeat it all the next day.

It’s not the tough day at the office that is killing two out of three of us. It’s that we simply sit too much, eat too much and exercise too little. All this is making us fat, clogging our arteries and fuelling diabetes and cancers. Intuitively we know it’s not good for us and so we plan to start exercising tomorrow, pack a healthier lunch and go for that overdue check-up. But inevitably, we postpone our good intentions.

Why don’t our good thoughts translate into good habits? It’s because much of everyday behaviour is filled with mental shortcuts. Research has shown that when unhealthy foods or drinks are placed at eyelevel at a supermarket or restaurant, our purchase and consumption of those products increase significantly.

When these products are replaced by healthier options like milk, water and fresh produce, we suddenly shift our behaviour to consuming more of those. When we are given smaller plates at a buffet, we land up eating less. Our modern-day environment is geared for instant gratification and convenience, and it is no wonder that we tend to eat way more than what our bodies need.

This irrational behaviour is not just in the realm of overeating. We all know the health benefits of exercise, but choose to ignore the research. In Vitality we have found that by giving people a weekly goal of exercising just a couple of times a week and combining that with a small reward of a cup of coffee, people increase their physical activity by 78%.

A subset of this group, who received a free Apple Watch, increased their activity even more. Setting goals and creating a reward today for something that will benefit us in the future helps us change our daily habits. Some of us even walk around our house before going to bed instead of falling asleep in front of the TV.

Research in the field of behavioural economics shows we can combat our environments and our thought processes for healthier outcomes. We don’t need to be slaves to instant gratification and convenience. — Dr Craig Nossel, Head of Vitality Wellness

We have nothing to lose but our fat