Device alerts your Facebook friends to your midnight snack

In the pursuit of weight-loss or a healthier diet, you’ve probably tried those kinda cray-cray tips like brushing your teeth after dinner to reduce your appetite or eating from a smaller plate.

1:15PM, Jul 11

But would you attach a device to your fridge that tells all your Facebook friends or Twitter followers if you open the door for a late-night nibble?

Brazilian weight-loss company Meta Real obviously thinks that you will, so they’ve invented the Virtual Fridge Lock – a gadget that magnetically attaches to the side of your fridge. Once hooked-up to your Facebook or Twitter account, if you open the door during a pre-determined time that you said you wouldn’t (such as after 8pm), a post will automatically go out to your social network that you "just raided the fridge."

In an ad for the product (watch it below), the manufacturer says they came up with the idea for the Virtual Fridge Lock after they struggled to support their clients during the time they were most tempted to snack – late at night.

Meta Real claims the intention of the product is that your social network will see the update about your fridge raid and 'support' you in your time of need. Read: leave a comment urging you not to eat that leftover pizza. But from a psychological perspective, it's the shame of everyone knowing about your late-night binge that would be the key motivator to step away from the fridge.

Leading Australian nutritionist and author of Losing The Last 5 Kilos Susie Burrell says a behavioural deterrent such as the Virtual Fridge Lock isn’t a long-term solution for developing healthy eating habits.

"It’s putting someone's self-regulation in the hands of others' judgement and shame, as opposed to helping them build the behavioural tools they need to ultimately manage their cravings and eating behaviour long term," Burrell said.

The Virtual Fridge Lock is the latest in a series of 'self-blackmailing' services that use our fear of social media shame as a means of motivation.

Gympact is an app that charges you a pre-determined amount of money if you skip a workout session you said you would go to. In a slightly creepy Big Brother-esque way, the app knows if you made it to the gym or your place of exercise via geo-location technology. People who rarely miss a session are rewarded with cash, too.

If the thought of $10 going down the drain doesn't get you out of bed and into your gym gear in the morning then really, what will?

More CLEO Health: 20 ways to get fit for free

By Erin Van Der Meer