Study Shows that Action Movies Make Us Eat More Snacks

Are you fond of bringing snacks while watching movies? Well, if you’re on a diet and don’t want to eat a lot of food, you might want to hide the food when you’re planning to watch action movies!

A recent study shows that action movies make us eat more snacks! Uh-oh…

Backed with scientific data, researchers from Cornell University discovered that people actually eat about twice more when they are watching action movies, compared with other movie genres.

We find that if you’re watching an action movie while snacking your mouth will see more action too. In other words, the more distracting the program is the more you will eat,” wrote lead author, Aner Tal, Ph.D.

Enlisting 94 undergraduates of the university as study subjects, the researchers gave the students snacks that include M&Ms, carrots, cookies, and grapes.

The study subjects were divided into three groups, but were given similar amounts of snacks to munch on while watching their designated movies.

One group watched talk show ‘Charlie Rose’, another group watched the Michael Bay thriller ‘The Island’ with sound, and the third group watched ‘The Island’ without sound.

The researchers observed the students’ reaction to what they were watching. They discovered that those who watched the thriller actually ate 98% more than those who watched the talk show!

The ones who watched the talk show ate an average of 215 calories, while those who watched the thriller with sound ate an average of 354 calories. The sound appears to be a big factor in making the movie more thrilling, because those who watched the movie without sound ate around 314 calories.

More stimulating programs that are fast paced, include many camera cuts, really draw you in and distract you from what you are eating. They can make you eat more because you’re paying less attention to how much you are putting in your mouth,” the researchers explained.

What’s a Thriller?

A thriller is a type of movie, novel, or play that involves an exciting plot, with plenty of typical action scenes.

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