Although sitting down to watch your favorite TV show may seem like a relaxing way to unwind, it could also stimulate your appetite, leading to binge eating.
A study, published by Elsevier in the February edition of peer-reviewed journal Appetitefound that adults tend to eat more when they are stuck to their screenswhether it’s a cooking show, a thrilling action movie, or mindless phone scrolling.
The study also found that women were more likely than men to eat while looking at a screen.
“The results indicate that consuming food while viewing screens leads to increased food consumption due to the distraction caused by screen use, regardless of screen content,” the researchers said. researchers in the study. “This phenomenon is particularly evident in women and can be attributed to psychological constructs related to eating behavior.”
Long-term television viewing has previously been linked to health problems such as obesity and diabetesas this often promotes sedentary behavior and can lead to increased calorie consumption due to indiscriminate eating, reduced awareness of satiety cues, and exposure to advertisements for unhealthy foods.
For example, research shows that people who watch television more than three hours a day are much more likely to develop diabetes. Likewise, spending long hours in front of other screens, such as computers, smartphones and tablets, is strongly connected at a higher risk of obesity and hypertension.
On the other hand, reduce the time spent in front of the television is linked at a lower risk of being overweight or obese.
Although research exists on this subject, the authors of the Appetite The study says there is still a lack of systematic reviews exploring how exposure to screens affects eating in adults, particularly when taking into account factors such as screen type , the content viewed and the duration of the exposure.
“With increasing exposure to screens among adults reporting an average of 3.2 hours per day and a higher frequency of eating while using a screen, a comprehensive understanding of the time-stamped relationship between screen use and food intake becomes crucial,” the researchers said.
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To gather this information, researchers looked at data from 42 studies involving nearly 1,900 participants. They looked at how different types of on-screen content – such as weight loss shows, home improvement programs, diet advertisements, and engaging or boring content – might influence eating behavior.
Researchers found that people tended to eat significantly more while looking at a screen than when they weren’t. The largest increase was seen in women, who showed a notable increase in their food intake.
According to the study, the type of content people watched or the device they used did not have a significant impact on their food consumption.
When taking into account screen time, the researchers found that if it lasted less than 30 minutes, people exposed to food cues tended to eat more than those who didn’t. However, when screen time was 30 minutes or more, the presence of food cues didn’t really have an effect on the amount of food consumed.
Why Screens Fuel Overeating
The increased food consumption observed in adults eating while looking at a screen may be attributed to the distraction caused by screen use during meals, which impairs food memory, researchers say.
Previous reports also reported that individuals tend to eat more or consume larger portions of snacks and meals when distracted by television.
“TV is a distraction and that can mean people simply start consuming without realizing that they are consuming,” explained Bill Dietz, a professor in the school of health’s department of exercise and nutritional sciences. public at George Washington University..
“And maybe there’s this kind of double whammy between the distraction of TV and the type of foods that you select…that those may be high-calorie foods that contribute to weight gain “, he added.
As for the study’s finding that women tended to eat more than men while watching screens, Dietz said he was “surprised” by the finding.
The study suggests this could be due to differences between men and women in the way they approach eating, such as the level of self-control around food, the ease with which they give in to cravings, sensitivity to hunger cues or intrusive thoughts about eating.
Despite the differences observed between women and men, the study highlights that people should try to avoid eating while looking at a screen. Instead, he recommends practicing mindful eating, being fully present during meals and free of distractions like TV, phone, or other screens.
However, Dietz said there could be another trick.
“Looking at screens is a stress reliever and provides a distraction. So I think the trick is not so much to stop eating while you’re watching TV, but to change the type of foods you eat. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t make a healthier choice than fast food,” he said.