What we watch at the cinema or on television influences how much we weigh on the scales. A study reveals that viewers of tearful films can eat between 28 and 55 per cent more during a screening than those who watch comedies or more optimistic films.
Sad films are fattening. You can eat 28 to 55 per cent more while watching them/Image courtesy of Aner Tal & Brian Wansink, Cornell University, USA
Sad movies may be sad news for those who want to maintain their figure; for weight loss, comedies are preferable to dramas.
That's according to a recent study by the Cornell Food and Brand Lab (CFBL) at Cornell University in New York, USA, which found that people who watch "tearjerker" films eat considerably more, due to the emotional impact of the film.
The CFBL research shows that moviegoers who ate popcorn while watching dramatic or sad films ate between 28 and 55 per cent more popcorn, both in the lab and in a commercial cinema, during the study period.
Popcorn, dramas and comedies
According to research published in JAMA-Internal Medicine, during the laboratory trial, moviegoers ate 28 percent more popcorn while watching the tragedy 'Love Story' than while enjoying the comedy 'Sweet Home Alabama'.
An analysis of popcorn consumption in shopping malls in seven US cities over the weekend following Thanksgiving showed similar results, according to the CFBL (foodpsychology.cornell.edu).
CFBL researchers found that moviegoers who bought popcorn and watched the sad movie 'Solaris' ate an average of 55 percent more of the cereal than those who watched the more upbeat movie 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding': 127 grams versus 82 grams.
The good side of dramas
But if you're a fan of tearjerkers, don't despair, because "sad films can also lead people to eat more healthy foods, as long as they have it in front of them.
Viewers who watch fast-paced programmes eat up to 98% more of the snacks available to them/Image courtesy of Aner Tal & Brian Wansink, Cornell University, USA)
People will eat more fruit or vegetables if they have them nearby," according to Brian Wansink, professor of marketing at Cornell and lead author of the paper.
This study is complemented by another CFBL finding, which shows that "action and adventure movies, but this time on television, also lead to higher calorie intake if food is within reach, because stimulating programmes with fast sequences and camera cuts distract us from what we are eating".
"With action movies, the mouth is in action and people eat at the pace of the film, taking in more food because they pay less attention to what they are eating, while sad movies may generate 'emotional eating', i.e. inducing eating to compensate for the sadness they feel," according to Aner Tal, CFBL researcher and co-author of the study.
Antidotes to emotional eating
Researcher Aner Tal explains to EFE some simple practical tips to avoid emotional eating when watching television at home or a film at the cinema.
1.- Categorically avoid eating while watching a film, as snacking while distracted is generally a bad idea, as it leads to increased consumption.
2.- If you still feel you must have a snack while watching a film, have a reasonable amount, rather than putting a packet of crisps or a box of cookies next to you.
3.- Pre-portion your snacks so you can't overeat: it's better to have a medium-sized bowl of popcorn in front of you, rather than a giant plate.
Keep your food supply at a certain distance from where you are sitting; you can always help yourself to more if you wish.
5. Substitute some less healthy snacks for healthier ones, or at least mix and match, being indulgent.
6.- Prepare the snacks you like, but avoid those you don't want to overeat.
Don't make "big food decisions" while you are still under the influence of a sad movie, and wait until that spellbinding effect has worn off before deciding what you want to have for dinner.
8.- Satisfy your sadness-induced cravings for food or snacks by having some healthy snacks before moving on to the main meal.