Boredom, both at work and in front of a movie, would encourage the consumption of crisps, sweets and other unhealthy foods. Dopamine would be involved.
Idleness is the mother of all vices … boredom too! Those who are bored are indeed more likely to give in to the packet of crisps whose flamboyant colors illuminate the cupboard, or to the bag of enticing candies. Researchers at the University of Central Lancashire have shown this in a study, presented at the annual conference of the British Psychological Society.
To arrive at these conclusions, they conducted two simple experiments. In the first, 52 people had to do a most boring task: recopy a group of letters several times. Before and after, they filled out a questionnaire about their food preferences.
Secondly, 45 participants watched a short film, either funny or completely tasteless. They had at their disposal two bowls full of snack food, respectively healthy and not to be recommended.
And what do we favor when we are bored? The chips ! The candies ! But also – for the first experiment – the less healthy foods, fast food, for example.
Dopamine at all costs
These results support an idea anticipated by researchers that “boredom is linked to low production of dopamine, a chemical stimulant in the brain,” explains Dr Sandi Mann of the University of Central Lancashire. People try to boost it by eating fat and sweet, if they can’t cope with their boredom in some other way. “
If you feel boredom rising, then look for an alternative to the evil closet. You know, the one you claim to never open but whose hinges are worn down to the trunk. The one that makes your eyes soft around 11pm at night while you are watching TV. Try to find an interesting occupation, browse Pourquoidocteur.fr, for example.
“People who design healthier eating campaigns need to consider boredom, especially at work,” says Dr. Mann. In the meantime, and to be sure of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you might as well avoid the tempting shelves in the supermarket.
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