On the program this weekend:stay in bed under the duvet and avoid the extreme cold. Yes it is -3 degrees, we already believe we are at the North Pole. And that's good, lately we wanted to rewatch all the seasons of Desperate Housewives … But if staying sprawled in front of a series seems like paradise to us, our body does not agree.
We've always known it, we love to eat while watching TV (and even more so when it's "Le Meilleur Pâtissier"). In fact, it's a bit like a ritual. The popcorn in front of Little confidences (to my shrink) and Ben &Jerry's ice cream in front of Love Actually . Clearly, we will eat everything and anything compulsively. And the researchers are sure, it's linked to binge-watching.
Well, let's agree, if we practice binge-watching every 36th of the month, it's not very serious. But if it's regular, then it gets complicated. Indeed, Lilian Cheung, head of communication for the health sector at Harvard, explains to the NPR site, that people who tend to watch more television are more likely to gain weight easily… Even being overweight and even becoming obese. According to her, binge-watching upsets our food balance. We will eat more, but badly. And this is also valid for what we are going to drink. Watching television compulsively leads us to have a sedentary lifestyle. Sleep will also be affected. We are not going to sleep at the appropriate and recommended hours for a good night's sleep. Lilian Cheung adds that when one is "obsessed" with television, one does not pay attention to what one is going to eat. Therefore, we will miss the signals that tell us that we are full.
Cornell University, Food and Brand Lab, has done extensive research on the subject. They noticed that what we look at influences what we eat. For example, stock programs will make us eat twice as much as our friends watching a talk show. Same for films or drama series:we will consume 55% more food than those who watch a romantic program.
But why ? Their research associate, Aner Tal, explains:It all depends on the distraction level of the program. But also feelings associated with what we are looking at. Thus, a film that causes stress will increase the level of cortisol (hormone secreted from cholesterol) in a person. And we know that this will cause us to eat compulsively, because with food we will feel better."
Cheung then advises us to stay away from screens when we are about to eat. We will pay more attention to what we eat. As a result, we will have easier access to our senses and we will appreciate our food more.
As for Tal, he suggests to people who can't get off the television, to only put "Healthy" snacks in front of them. Or no snacks at all.
So yes, you can continue to binge-watch your favorite programs. We remind you, it's good for morale. But in moderation and without junk food, of course.
