Triggering exercise behaviour change with information

Obesity Panacea reports research at University of Texas that signs positioned next to lifts in university buildings, telling people that using the stairs used up 5 times as many calories as taking the lift (with an arrow to hidden stairs), triggered significantly more stair walking than previously. The effect was sustained over a period of four weeks after the signs were removed. No social psychology involved (although perhaps some loss of face at using the lift?), just information. (Would have been good to know whether the behaviour transferred to other contexts.)

Obesity Panacea also refers to a UK study where painting coloured lines on paved playgrounds in children's schools increased levels of physical activity (at least for a month after the intervention was made).

[via NotExactlyRocketScience]