Have you ever been driving your car whilst talking on the phone (with hands free of course)? And when you hang up from your friend you realise that you can't actually remember the trip home? Scary isn't it.
Well the same principles apply when you eat whilst watching tv, or working on your computer. Because you are distracted, you may not realise how much you have eaten and studies have shown that people that eat whilst watching the screen will eat more later on.
I really enjoyed an e-newsletter article from Sue Radd (APD) on this topic, so much so that I have copied and pasted it below for you to read. Just make sure it's not while you're eating.
The Perils of Snacking in front of the TV
by Sue Radd from Sue Radd's Nutrition and Wellbeing Clinic
Do you enjoy eating popcorn at the movies? What about ice cream, cheese and crackers or a packet of chips while you’re watching the tele? Does chocolate hit the spot during your favourite TV show? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, you may be sabotaging your own weight loss attempts. We all know that snacking on calorie dense, nutrient poor foods is a bad idea for weight loss. But is there a difference if you eat snacks in front of the TV? Apparently so! New research published in Applied Cognitive Psychology shows if you snack in front of the screen, you are more likely to eat a greater amount at your next meal - without knowing it!
In this Australian study, healthy female university students of normal weight were split into two groups. Both groups were given the same amount of snacks to eat, however one group was allowed to eat the snacks in front of the television, while the other group was not. Interestingly, the group that ate in front of the TV ended up consuming more food later on, despite not snacking any less beforehand.
Why does it matter if you eat in front of the TV? First, have you noticed how easy it is to just keep eating…and eating, when your attention is being occupied elsewhere? Before you know it, that king size block of chocolate is gone! Even if you control your portions (as was done in this study), do you really get to enjoy your food when you are focused on something else? Can you recall every mouthful and what it tasted like? Did it get sweeter or saltier as you went along, signaling to your body that maybe you’ve had enough?
This study shows that people who eat in front of the TV have less recollection of actually eating, let alone how much they ate! As a result, they’re actually more likely to overeat later in the day.
Whether it’s TV, the movies or even your work computer screen, being absent minded when eating could get you into trouble. Remember the time you went to the movies and had a big bag of popcorn… then afterwards squeezed in a three course meal?!
Our advice: Make a conscious decision not to eat in front of the television (or your computer) – regardless of how healthy that snack may be! Turn off the tele at meal times, eat slowly and enjoy your food with your family or friends. For good health, limit TV viewing time to 2 hours per day and separate it from your snacks and meals!
Sue Radd www.sueradd.com
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