04-010 · EVIDENCE B · LOW-RISK READING
Keep desired items within reach and unwanted ones out of sight — no need to resist temptation on the spot
把要用的东西摆到手边，把不想碰的挪远，别指望当场忍住
No cost involved; takes just a few minutes to set up. Simply move your phone to another room and lay out books and a computer on the desk.
When items are physically farther away, people tend to consume less of them. Placing snacks at a distance noticeably cuts down on intake — this effect is of moderate strength. Limiting the number of available choices also leads to a marked drop in consumption. These strategies require no willpower on your part; you can arrange everything in just a few minutes.
B
Move “Keep desired items within reach and unwanted ones out of sight — no need to resist temptation on the spot” to Future Me's calendar
The excuse
If I do not open the notes, no new task has technically appeared.
What feels good now
Today I keep a few minutes and avoid interrupting my default routine.
What the source says
The source summarizes the return this way: “When items are physically farther away, people tend to consume less of them. Placing snacks at a distance noticeably cuts down on intake — this effect is of moderate strength. Limiting the number of available choices also leads to a marked drop in consumption. These strategies require no willpower on your part; you can arrange everything in just a few minutes.” Evidence grade B. The original states the population, caveats, and sources; this is not a personal forecast.
Open the original entry, check who the evidence applies to, then pick one small step that fits.
THE ENGLISH EDITION
Original recommendation and evidence
10. Keep desired items within reach and unwanted ones out of sight — no need to resist temptation on the spot
Cost: No cost involved; takes just a few minutes to set up. Simply move your phone to another room and lay out books and a computer on the desk.
In plain terms: When items are physically farther away, people tend to consume less of them. Placing snacks at a distance noticeably cuts down on intake — this effect is of moderate strength. Limiting the number of available choices also leads to a marked drop in consumption. These strategies require no willpower on your part; you can arrange everything in just a few minutes.
Benefit: A Cochrane review encompassing 24 randomized trials supports these findings. Moving food farther away reduces consumption, with a standardized mean difference of −0.60 (95% CI −0.84 to −0.36; based on 12 studies involving 1,098 participants; evidence of low certainty). Limiting food options yields an even stronger effect, with a standardized mean difference of −1.13 (95% CI −1.90 to −0.37; based on 3 studies involving 154 participants; evidence of low certainty). Regression analysis confirms that both distance and fewer choices amplify the effect.
Evidence grade: B
Sources: Hollands GJ, Carter P, Anwer S, et al. (2019). Altering the availability or proximity of food, alcohol, and tobacco products to change their selection and consumption. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 9, CD012573. <https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012573.pub3>
Notes: This B rating stems from the fact that all 24 studies included in the review focused on food only; none examined alcohol or tobacco. Additionally, 14 of those studies were conducted in laboratory settings and originated from high-income countries. Applying these same principles to phones and video games is a logical extrapolation, as no direct trials exist on this specific use case. One study directly examined the effect of removing phones from one’s line of sight; see Section 3, Item 1 for details (turning off nonessential notifications and keeping phones out of sight while working).
Read the complete Chinese source and notes
10. 把要用的东西摆到手边，把不想碰的挪远，别指望当场忍住
成本: 不花钱，一次几分钟。把手机放到另一个房间，把书和电脑摊在桌上。
说人话: 东西离得远一点，人就少拿一点。把同样的零食放远，吃下去的量明显下降，属于中等大小的效果。少摆几个选项，拿的人也明显变少。这类办法不用你当场忍，几分钟就能布置好。
收益: 一份纳入 24 项随机试验的 Cochrane 综述。把食物放得更远，吃掉的量下降，标准化均数差 −0.60（95% CI −0.84 到 −0.36，这是可信范围；12 项研究、1098 人，低确定性证据），属于中等效应。把可选项减少，选择该食物的下降更明显，标准化均数差 −1.13（95% CI −1.90 到 −0.37，3 项研究、154 人，低确定性证据）。回归分析显示：放得越远、可选项越单一，效果越强。
证据等级: B
来源: Hollands GJ, Carter P, Anwer S, et al. (2019). Altering the availability or proximity of food, alcohol, and tobacco products to change their selection and consumption. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 9, CD012573. <https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012573.pub3>
备注: 定 B 级的理由：这份综述收进来的 24 项研究全部是食物，酒和烟一项都没有；14 项在实验室做，全部来自高收入国家。所以「挪远就少碰」搬到手机和游戏上属于顺推，没有直接试验。把手机放到视线之外这一件事有人直接测过，见第 3 节第 1 条（关掉非必要通知，工作时把手机放到视线之外）。
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