People eat more when they are glued to the television People eat more when they are glued to the television, and the more entertaining the programme, the more they eat, according to new research. It seems that distracted brains do not notice what the mouth is doing, said Dr Alan Hirsch, neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. Hirsch explored the impact of smell, taste and eating behaviors while watching TV by measuring potato chip consumption. Forty-five volunteers ate as many chips as they wanted during five-minute intervals while they watched monologues by late-night talk show hosts David Letterman and Jay Leno. They also were given chips to eat when the television was off. Hirsch found people ate an average of 44 per cent more chips while watching Letterman and 42 per cent more while viewing Leno, than when they did not watch TV. "If you can concentrate on how the food tastes you'll eat less because you'll feel full faster," Hirsch said in an interview at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Toronto. "So if that's the case, let's look at the opposite. What if you're distracted? If you're distracted, in theory, then you'd eat more." Through his research at the foundation, Hirsch has helped people overcome the loss of sense and taste sensation, which typically results in weight gain because the brain does not know when it should stop eating. The ventromedial nucleus in the hypothalamus, where the so-called satiety centre is located, tells the body whether it is hungry or full. If it is inhibited or tricked, the result can be changes in eating patterns, he said. "People who cook spaghetti all day don't feel like eating spaghetti at the end of the day," said Hirsch. "By being exposed to a smell all day long it's tricking the hypothalamus." Volunteers were asked to concentrate on the sensory characteristics of the food such as taste and smell. Researchers say these sensory clues, in addition to internal body changes, signal satiety. But when distracted, a person does not pay attention to either the body's sensations of feeling full, or to the sensory characteristics of the food. Many studies have linked obesity to watching television and that link is likely due to inactivity, Hirsch said. But perhaps entertaining shows are also contributing. "If you want to lose weight, turn off the television or watch something boring," he said. (Reuters)

一項最新研究表明，人們在全神貫注看電視時吃得更多，而且節目越逗樂，吃得越多。 芝加哥嗅覺味覺治療與研究基金會的神經科主任阿蘭·赫爾希博士說，由此看來，注意力分散不會影響到嘴巴的動作。 赫爾希博士通過測算土豆片的攝入量，對看電視時嗅覺、味覺和進食行為的影響進行了探討。 45名志愿者在觀看午夜脫口秀主持人大衛·賴特曼和杰·雷諾的節目時，在中間五分鐘的休息時段大嚼土豆片。 研究人員要求他們在電視機關閉后繼續吃土豆片。 赫爾希博士發現，與不看電視時相比，研究對象在看賴特曼節目時攝入的土豆片量平均多出44%，而看雷諾節目時的土豆片攝入量多出42%。 在內分泌學會在多倫多召開的年度研討會上，赫爾希博士在接受采訪時說：“如果你把注意力集中在食品的味道上，你的食量就會減少，因為你會飽得快。” “如果這種說法成立，我們來看看相反的情況。如果你的注意力處于分散狀態呢？從理論上說，你會吃的更多。” 通過在基金會所做的研究，赫爾希幫助一些人克服了感覺和味覺喪失的問題，這兩種狀況通常會導致體重增加，因為大腦不知道什么時候該停止進食。 他說，飽足中樞所在的丘腦腹內側核會“告訴”身體什么時候餓了或飽了。如果它被抑制或“麻痹”，人的進食方式便會發生改變。 “做了一整天意大利面的人最后根本不想吃意大利面。整天聞一種氣味，會使丘腦‘麻木’。”  研究人員要求志愿者注意食物的口味及氣味等感官特征。研究人員指出，除了人體內部的變化外，這些感官提示會引起飽足感。 但人的注意力一旦分散，他就不會注意到飽足的感覺，也不會注意食物的感官特征。 赫爾希博士說，此前很多研究表明肥胖與看電視有關，而且這可能是由于不活動造成的。而娛樂節目也可能是其中的一個因素。 他說，“如果你想減肥，那就把電視機關了，或者看一些無聊的節目。” （英語點津姍姍編輯）