Does Lunch At Your PC Make Your Eat More?

If you eat lunch parked in front of your computer every day, you need to know that this habit may be boosting your appetite.

lunch in front of your computer

Most of us know the advice to avoid eating in front of the TV or computer, but many completely ignore that message.
Well, a recent small study has shown that those who ate lunch while playing a computer game ended up eating more 30 minutes later, than those who had eaten their lunch with no distractions.
Previous studies have demonstrated that distractions at mealtimes lead to eating more, however this study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, went a little further, showing the effects of this distraction actually last beyond the meal.
44 volunteers were assigned to one of two groups. One group was asked to eat a set lunch while playing solitaire on a computer. The other group had the same meal, but with no distractions.Thirty minutes after their lunch, both groups took a cookie "taste test," where they could sample as much as they wanted. They were also asked to recall all nine items they'd eaten at lunch, and the order in which the foods were served.On average, the computer group ate roughly 250 calories worth of cookies, while the other group ate half as much.Also, the computer group had more difficulty remembering the order in which their lunch had been served, and reported feeling less full afterwards.
The researchers suggest computer users have a fuzzier memory of their lunch, and therefore felt less satisfied afterwards, in comparison to the control group.
Researcher Jeffrey Brunstrom, of the University of Bristol, UK, said:

We think that memory for recent meals influences the amount of food that we select and then consume at a subsequent meal... When our memory is poor, then at a subsequent meal we tend to select and consume a greater amount of food.

It's pretty obvious, but you can't possibly pay attention to what you eat and how much, when you are distracted so heavily. One of the keys to eating less at mealtimes is to eat mindfully -- you can't eat mindfully when you aren't paying attention to what your stomach is telling you.
If you are the master multi-tasker in your home, taking a break at mealtimes away from the TV and computer screen, is a new habit you should try to implement. Also, if you've got children, take note -- one U.S. study found that up to a quarter of children's calorie intake occurs in front of a TV.
So, is it time to set some new healthy goals for the incoming year, to improve your health and that of your whole family?
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