Y:So,Don,when you go to Mcdonald's...

D:I don't go to Mcdonald's.

Y:OK,but if you did.And saw that they have salad on the menu,would you get the salad or something less heathful like a cheeseburg in french fries?

D:Well,if I saw,if they had a salad,I guess that's what I'll get.

Y:Maybe.But researchers've actually studied this.They showed people two fast food-type menus: one with three typically unhealthful items, like a hamburger, a chicken sandwich and French fries; and the other menu had the same items but also included a salad.

D:And?

Y:And the people who saw the menu with the salad were nearly three times more likely to choose the least healthful item, the French fries. Almost nobody actually chose the salad.

D:So you say that the presence of the salad as a healthy choice somehow spurred people to make the most unhealthy choice, why?

Y:It’s called vicarious goal fulfillment.The idea is that merely seeing and considering the salad fulfills your goal of eating healthfully. Then you feel like you’ve done your duty, and go on to order what amounts to an unhealthful treat, like extra large fry or a huge hamburger.

D:But maybe just knowing this phenomenon can help. If you know the salad could encourage you to get a cheeseburger, perhaps it’s possible to realize what’s happening and resist the urge.

Y:Maybe,or you could just not eat fastfood in the first place.