Now scientists have revealed that eating at your desk makes you far more likely to snack later in the day. The researchers from the University of Bristol were studying the ways in which memory and attention influence our appetite. They asked one group of participants to eat a lunch that comprised nine different foods while playing Solitaire – a computerised card-sorting game.
They gave a second group the same lunch but provided no distractions. The team found those who played Solitaire felt less full after lunch. The effect was long-lasting as half an hour later the participants who played the computer game ate around twice as many chocolate biscuits as the non-distracted participants. At the end of the test session, the distracted participants also found it more difficult to remember what order they had eaten the food items provided for lunch.
The scientists said their findings showed that distraction during one meal can lead to increased food intake later in the day, which could have a significant impact on obesity. Lead author Dr Jeff Brunstrom said: ‘When people think about memory, they think about remembering shopping lists and peoples names and things like that. ‘But the reality is that memory helps us without even thinking about it. It helps us remember how to walk to work and we are trying to suggest it affects appetite.
Previous studies have noted a similar effect at work on people who eat while watching TV.
The latest research using 44 participants extends these findings by showing how other screen-time activities can influence our food intake in unexpected ways. Dr Brunstrom, said: ‘This work adds to mounting evidence from our lab and others that cognition, and memory and attention in particular, play a role in governing appetite and meal size in humans.
Post published in: News