Most of us eat on the go at some point. Whether it’s a granola bar on the way to work or a trip through McDonald’s for lunch, the concept of chowing down anywhere besides the dining room is pretty commonplace these days. And it may be backfiring on us.
A new study from the Journal of Health Psychology suggested that grabbing something on the run actually may cause us to eat more in the long run. Participants ate a cereal bar while watching TV, walking or talking. When presented with goodies afterward, the participants who walked and ate their cereal bar ended up gobbling up more sweets.
One possible explanation: The participants (who all told researchers they were watching their weight) were distracted and didn’t notice how much they ate. Or, the movement caused them to think they deserved a reward for the “exercise.” Either way, as the authors note, the study has limitations (it happened in a lab and not in the real world, for example), so more research needs to be done.
Just to be safe, it might be best to take those 10 extra minutes in the morning to eat at the table. If not, think twice before hitting the vending machine up at work later.
