5 Things You're Doing Wrong at the Grocery Store

What he found: Shoppers overwhelmingly make better, healthier, less-fattening choices at stores that meet certain criteria, Wansink says. Those stores offer healthier foods in aisle 2; highlight seasonal produce; have at least one food-free checkout aisle; play relaxing music; have wider, more comfortable aisles to allow us to linger and read labels; have clean restrooms near the entrance (because we are more likely to make wise choices when we're not stressed or uncomfortable). You can find out if your favorite store is sneakily keeping you slim or making you fat by evaluating it against Wansink's checklist.

What you should do: Wansink says that it can be easier than you think to boost your store's score. While shopping at his local market with his three young children, he found it impossible to avoid the treats near the registers. He asked coworkers to join him in requesting that the manager to provide at least one snack-free checkout. After the fifth or sixth person asked, the manager gave in. "People spend about $5,000 a year on groceries," Wansink points out. "That's a lot of money for a store to lose over something like candy placement."