A study conducted by the University of Worcester in the US found that ‘screen eating’, where people watch videos while eating, causes obesity and picky eating. The photo was created based on the content of the article. ChatGPT
There is a series of warnings that so-called ‘screen eating’, which involves habitually turning on the TV or watching YouTube videos while eating, causes obesity and picky eating. This is because the stimulation on the screen tricks the brain into numbing the sense of taste and even makes you forget that you have eaten.
The results of an experiment published last year by a research team at the Worcester Institute of Technology (WPI) in the United States numerically proved the dangers of ‘different eating’. The research team gave potato chips and chocolate to 114 college students and analyzed their intake in different environments. As a result, the group that only focused on food consumed an average of 131 kcal, and the group that ate while watching TV consumed 164 kcal. Those who watched TV consumed 25% more.
◆“Have I eaten?” Forget taste and appetite=Experts point out that the problem with screen eating is ‘memory interference.’
When we eat while watching something, our brain cannot properly remember the act of eating. Even though you just ate, your brain doesn’t recognize it, so you quickly feel hungry, which creates a vicious cycle of requiring more food at the next meal.
The sense of ‘taste’ also becomes dull. When you focus on the screen, your brain’s ability to process taste decreases. For this reason, we instinctively reach for fried foods or processed foods (sweet and salty) that are spicy and strong, rather than delicate-tasting vegetables or side dishes made with vegetables.
◆Eating 6 more pieces of chocolate with every meal makes you ‘gather obese’=The difference in intake shown in the experiment is about 33 kcal. At first glance, it may seem like only 5 to 6 pieces of chocolate. However, if this is repeated at every meal or snack time every day, fat can accumulate throughout the body before you know it.
The harmful effects of these ‘digital tables’ have already emerged as a global problem. According to a Chinese study published in 2024, adolescents who snacked while watching TV had a more than 7 times (7.16) higher risk of becoming overweight or obese than those who did not. In a 2023 survey of Korean preschool children (3-5 years old), the longer screen time was, the more picky eating or refusal to eat clearly increased. Last year’s eating habits survey conducted in Greece also confirmed that households with more screen exposure had less natural food intake and a higher dependence on fast food.
The research team advised, “The easiest way to stay healthy is to turn off the screen during meal times and focus on the taste of the food.”
Reporter Lee Hwi-bin vinyvin@nongmin.com
