We all know that being healthy is all well and good until we’re faced with the little add-ons. The chocolate digestive biscuit (ok packet) with that cup of tea, a packet of crisps after lunch, or a slice of cake with your dinner – those little calories have a nasty habit of adding up. A new study has shown that working out some mental math around the calorie intake could be the difference you need to make healthier choices. Research from the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that when people were given the ‘exercise equivalent’ of an item (aka how long it would take to burn off the offending treat), customers made smarter, healthier choices. Speaking about the study, lead author Sara Bleich, PhD and associate professor of health policy and management said: "Simply knowing how many calories an item has isn't really that meaningful "The exercise equivalent of an item is easier to comprehend and carries more weight than calories alone.” Would you bother eating a brownie if you knew it’d take you more than an hour and a half to work it off? Image: Colin Hayes via Prevention.com While we all know a little treat does no harm, knowledge is power... And it could explain why your scales aren’t reflecting your efforts (90% of the time).