Do you ever eat dinner with a fork in one hand and the TV remote in the other?
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For many people, the preferred way to unwind after a long day is by plopping down on the couch, kicking up their feet and vegging out in front of the TV.
Unfortunately, this habit has the potential to lead to overeating and, eventually, weight gain.
“It’s fine to sometimes have a snack in front of the TV, but when it becomes a repeated pattern, or when eating and watching TV become cognitively linked, then it becomes an unhealthy pattern,” explains psychologist Susan Albers, PsyD.
Food plus TV equals distracted eating
If you’re eating in front of the TV (or computer, or smartphone, for that matter), chances are you’re paying more attention to what’s happening on the screen than to the spaghetti you’re putting into your mouth.
“We tend to eat more mindlessly in front of the TV,” Dr. Albers explains. “We also don’t taste and experience the food as much because we’re distracted.”
This not only makes food less satisfying, but it makes it easier to miss cues that you’ve eaten enough, like seeing how much is gone from the plate or feeling that your stomach is getting full.
Research backs up this idea, too. Studies show that we tend to eat more when we’re distracted — both in the moment of distraction and later on in the day.
“I think eating while watching TV also prolongs the time period that we’re eating,” Dr. Albers adds. “If your show is an hour long, you might continue to eat throughout that time period.”
Breaking the habit
If you’re ready to start eating more mindfully, start with these tips from Dr. Albers:
- Disconnect the two behaviors. “It’s fine to have a snack while watching TV, but take a break and move over to the table to have your snack, and then come back to the TV,” she suggests. Research shows that giving your food the attention it deserves may reduce the amount you eat, plus cut down on hunger and snacking later.
- Choose wisely. If you’re hankering for something in the evening hours, choose a snack that’s not sugary or caffeinated. Complex carbohydrates such as whole-grain breads, cereals or crackers may help promote sleep.
- Set limits. It can be helpful to think ahead and set limits — both in terms of your snacking and your TV watching. Commit to eating just one cup of popcorn (instead of the whole bag) and to only watching two episodes of your show (instead of the entire new season). If you’re watching TV in the evening hours, this can also prevent a Netflix binge from cutting into your sleep time. Missing even one or two hours of sleep could throw off your appetite hormones the next day, Dr. Albers says, which could set you up for cravings for sugary and salty foods and overeating.
- Give your hands something to do. Besides snacking, that is. Find an activity that will keep your hands busy while you’re watching TV, like knitting, coloring, painting your nails, squeezing a stress ball or doing a sudoku puzzle.
- Invite a friend. “Sometimes watching TV with other people can be helpful, because we role model our behavior with them,” Dr. Albers says. “We tend to not mindlessly eat as much when we’re with someone else.”
Sleep, stress and a whole variety of emotions can also contribute to overeating, so if you’re having a hard time reigning in your TV-snacking, consider whether there might be other factors at play.
FAQs
Food plus TV equals distracted eating
Why is eating in front of the TV bad for you? ›
“It not only slows down your metabolic rate but also increases your risk of obesity.” Agreeing, Jain says that a combination of mindless eating, poor food choices, decreased awareness of satiation, and reduced physical activity associated with TV watching can contribute to weight gain and obesity over time.
How do I stop mindless eating while watching TV? ›
Change your routine: Changing your routine is a behavioral technique. Pay attention to the time you are watching TV and eating. Is it after a long day at work? If so, watching TV with a delicious snack or meal may be your method of self-soothing, meaning that it is your way of easing stress.
Does eating in front of the TV make you fat? ›
But, Alblas says, there's existing research showing that time spent eating is correlated to eating more calories. "And lab research shows that distracted eating leads to increased food intake, so all the evidence combined suggests that distraction plays a major role when eating in front of the TV," she says.
Why you shouldn't eat in front of a screen? ›
Food enters our digestive system, but the quantity is often uncertain. Studies have shown that when watching a screen, people tend to consume an average of 25% more than necessary, primarily because the brain fails to detect satiety—the sensation of being "full."
Why should we not eat food while watching TV? ›
Distracted eating: When you eat while watching TV, you tend to eat more without realizing it, as your attention is focused on the screen and not on the food. This can lead to overeating and weight gain. Reduced enjoyment: Eating while watching TV can take away from the enjoyment of the meal.
Does eating while watching TV damage your stomach? ›
Eating while watching TV programs dims the signals from the brain to the stomach. This makes the stomach not secrete enough gastric juice and digestive enzymes, making food not digested properly and the body also more difficult to absorb nutrients.
What does a poor diet lead to? ›
Globally, nine of the top fifteen risk factors for morbidity, including high body mass index (BMI), high blood pressure, cardiac disease, diabetes and malnutrition, are associated with poor diet.
How do I break the habit of watching too much TV? ›
How to Stop Binge-Watching
- Limit the time you spend watching TV. ...
- Use your favorite shows to reward yourself after you have completed a set task or necessary work.
- Delete streaming apps on your devices.
- Try apps such as TV time, moment, to limit the amount of time you spend on streaming sites every day.
Eating food while watching mobile can lead to overeating and disrupt digestion. Mindless eating can cause digestive problems, such as bloating and gas.
Their reactions can range from anger and annoyance to panic and the need to flee. The disorder is sometimes called selective sound sensitivity syndrome. Individuals with misophonia often report they are triggered by oral sounds -- the noise someone makes when they eat, breathe, or even chew.
Why do I unconsciously eat fast? ›
Emotional factors: Stress, anxiety or emotional distress can affect eating patterns. You may unconsciously use food as a way to cope with emotions, and this can manifest in fast eating. Eating quickly might provide temporary relief or distraction from negative emotions.
Why do I eat when I'm not hungry? ›
Our brain can respond to many more cues to eat than just hunger. We can find ourselves eating in response to emotions, whether that is happy, sad, stressed or excited. Boredom and fatigue are other common triggers and eating is also encouraged by how the food look and smells when presented on the plate.
Is it bad for kids to eat in front of TV? ›
But eating while distracted by screens also leads to obesity as it prevents children from listening to the signals that tell them when they're full. Over time, mealtime distraction can reduce sensitivity to hunger and fullness cues.
How does television affect eating habits? ›
Communication professor Temple Northup suggests reasons why TV watching is connected to poor eating habits. A recent study conducted by communication professor Temple Northup suggests people who watch excessive amounts of TV tend to eat more unhealthy foods and might not understand the foundations of a healthy diet.
