New research reveals you’re more likely to develop healthier eating habits through reading positive health messages.

We see health messages and warnings everywhere: Magazine ads, commercials, not to mention articles (you know, like this one). They range from downright terrifying, like cigarette warnings that could easily inspire a horror movie, to bright and cheery, like Kelly Ripa telling you to brush with Colgate—and when it comes to improving your eating habits, you’re more likely to follow through when those messages are positive or gain-framed, say researchers.

A recent study from Cornell Food & Brand Lab analyzed 63 nutrition education studies to determine who is more likely to be impacted by positive versus negative health messages, and why. They found while evoking fear may seem like a good way to get your point across, the opposite is true: Telling the public a behavior will help them be healthier and happier is more effective than trying to scare them into healthier habits.

The majority of health messages today (in other words, the negative ones) impact health care professionals more than the general public—but why? According to Brian Wansink, Ph.D., Director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, there are a few reasons:

1. We aren’t as involved in the issue
When you’re super-knowledgeable about healthy eating habits – like say, you’re a nutritionist – you’ll be more motivated by a negative- or loss-based message. The general public may not have that deep-rooted passion for the cause like a professional does, and therefore may respond better to messages that provide clear, actionable steps that leave them feeling motivated.

2. We prefer a positive outcome (obvi)
Of course we prefer a positive outcome—who wants to spend their day waiting for an anvil to fall on their head? Why would we strive for a future at all if it wasn’t a better one? We’re not about burying our heads in the sand though: Researchers found when a positive outcome is a sure thing, gain-framed messages are best (such as “you’ll live 5 years longer if you exercise more”), but loss-framed messages work best when a negative outcome is certain (such as “sitting will kill you“).

3. We thrive on facts and certainty
“When claims appear factual and convincing, positive messages tend to work best,” Wansink said in a statement. “If a person believes that eating soy will extend their life by reducing their risk of heart disease, a positive message stating this is best.” If they’re not as convinced, that’s when a negative message (such as “people who don’t eat soy have a higher rate of heart disease”) will have more impact.

As someone who sucks at the whole healthy eating habits thing, I can honestly say I’m more pumped to eat a carrot when I’m told about the wonderful things carrots do for my body, as opposed to being told how not eating them will make my eyes fall out.

So when you’re in need of some added motivation to improve your eating habits or hop on that treadmill, seek out articles or clips on the positive impact these changes will have on your life and you’ll be more likely to stick to them. You don’t need to terrify yourself into doing anything: That’s what CNN is for.

How are you improving your eating habits?

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You eat healthy at home and then once you hit the road, it all goes out the window. Clean eating can be difficult when you’re traveling–you’re in a place where you don’t know the healthy hotspots and you’re off your routine. But with a few simple tips, you won’t fall off track.

6 Tips to Clean Eating While Traveling

1. Bring the essentials along.

Bring some clean eating essentials along like non-dairy milk and organic granola for breakfast. Bring snacks along as well like seaweed snacks, raw nuts, dried sulfite-free fruit, and raw granola bars.

2. Do your research.

When I travel I do my research ahead of time. First off, I contact my vegan and vegetarian friends that either live in a place or have been there and find out the details. And then I go to the Happy Cow website to find out the veggie havens in the area. Even if you’re not a vegan or vegetarian, finding plant-friendly places usually means finding the healthiest clean eating in town. Additionally, farm-to-table restaurants are clean options that please a meat lover’s palate as well.

3. Find a place with a kitchen.

Call ahead to find hotels with a kitchen. If your hotel room has a kitchen, then you can eat in at least a few meals during your trip. If it’s a bed and breakfast, you can stock the fridge with vegan and gluten free options that they may not offer. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much people want to accommodate you if possible.

4. Don’t get wasted.

Vacation and travel isn’t an excuse to drink too much. This leads to dehydration, disrupted sleep, and eating an unhealthy diet.

5. Have a salad.

That may seem obvious, but by enjoying a raw salad as either a side or an entree at least once a day, you’re going a long way to maintain your daily veggie allowance and you’ll feel better for it. Skip the cream based dressing and enjoy oil and vinegar instead.

6. Hit the farmers market.

I make it my mission to hit the farmers market nearly every time I visit a new place. It offers healthy, local options while  connecting you to the people of the place you’re visiting.

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Nowadays, it seems like American children are spending more time online than they are sleeping or breathing or going outside. KidsCom, the latest green website geared towards children, has the tools to help kids get excited about being active, changing their eating habits and making healthy lifestyle choices.

Virtual worlds are all the rage these days, and creative minds at KidsCom, a website full of online games for kids, are taking advantage of it to teach children about healthy living.

The hope is that if kids can get excited about growing whole foods and cooking meals at home, then they’ll keep those healthy habits into adulthood. We’ve seen from Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution that savvy eating habits both at home and at school are hard to come by these days. But the lessons learned online need to be translated into the real world for them to do any good, so getting the game into classrooms is an important step.

To read more about the importance of developing healthy eating habits in kids, check out Planet Green.

Editor’s note: Article by Jaymi Heimbuch. Originally published by our friends at Planet Green. Planet Green is an offshoot of Discovery that covers every aspect of green living, from tofu to tattoos. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Planet Green on Twitter, too!

Image: spacecadet

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