Study: heavy mental effort leads to much bigger meals

**nemowolf** · September 5th, 2008, 01:29 PM

From Ars Technica:

Researchers find that subjecting student volunteers to mentally challenging tasks causes them to eat significantly more food, even though the energy difference between thinking and relaxation is minimal.

As the obesity epidemic rages in developed economies, explanations have mostly focused on dietary changes and the sedentary lifestyle that time spent on a computer tends to promote. But a preliminary study from a group of researchers in Quebec suggest that working on a computer may have an additional impact on our waistlines: taxing mental effort appears to cause people to eat significantly more food, even though it doesn't burn many more calories than sitting around and relaxing.

Okay, being that we are all here on a computer and sitting down. Many of us may fall into the stereotype of the slightly bigger than average to overweight male "nerd"/"geek" ... Any of you think this might have some truth to it? Discuss!

**EXreaction** · September 5th, 2008, 01:32 PM

Bah, it's just another excuse to cover up the reason. People just eat more than they should.

**outlaw2001it** · September 5th, 2008, 02:46 PM

I sit on my computer for most of the day, I don't eat more/less than if I was doing something else. Maybe the fact is that some people sit on their computer, or game console with a few bags of Doritos, and a few six packs of coke for hours on end without moving.
wait...pause the game, I need another bag of Doritos.

**nemowolf** · September 5th, 2008, 06:14 PM

Originally Posted by outlaw2001it

I sit on my computer for most of the day, I don't eat more/less than if I was doing something else. Maybe the fact is that some people sit on their computer, or game console with a few bags of Doritos, and a few six packs of coke for hours on end without moving.
wait...pause the game, I need another bag of Doritos.

LOL!!! Anyone want some CHEETOS!!!????

Are there girls there? Cause i want to do them!

**KarmaKiller** · September 5th, 2008, 06:24 PM

I could see this actually being true.
I know some days I have to use my brain a lot more then other days.(days I'm figuring the roof) and I seem to be always starving on those days. I've noticed this before.
But then other days when I do nothing but carrying and cutting, I'm not near as hungry.
Why? I have no idea.
But I do totally agree with Out.
I have a friend with 2 kids, that had to make a rule they must go outside for 2 hours(weather permitting) and play. Just so they don't sit in front of the TV all day.. lol

**nemowolf** · September 29th, 2008, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by KarmaKiller

I could see this actually being true.
I know some days I have to use my brain a lot more then other days.(days I'm figuring the roof) and I seem to be always starving on those days. I've noticed this before.
But then other days when I do nothing but carrying and cutting, I'm not near as hungry.
Why? I have no idea.
But I do totally agree with Out.
I have a friend with 2 kids, that had to make a rule they must go outside for 2 hours(weather permitting) and play. Just so they don't sit in front of the TV all day.. lol

I think its the stress and comfort of eating personally.