What science teaches us about breaking bad habits

It’s a new year and many people are in the mood for making a fresh start. And that often means giving something up (cigarettes, alcohol, junk food). Unfortunately, the odds of sticking with new year resolutions are not good. Come February, 80 percent of people will have given up giving up. So what can we learn from the 20 percent who make it? Some might just be lucky, but most – whether they realize it or not – will be using techniques based on scientific evidence. While you m