Mindful activities make us eat more

This finding explains why obesity is becoming more and more common in industrialized countries.

Experts of Laval University, Quebec City, Canada divided 14 volunteers into three groups. A group is relaxed in a sitting position, the second group reads and summarizes a story, the third group performs thinking tests on the computer. After 45 minutes, all volunteers were asked to eat "release brakes".

Photo: corbis

Although the number of participants is not much, its results clearly show the difference. On average, each volunteer who takes a computerized test and reads text consumes more than those who sit at 253 calories (29.4%) and 203 calories.

Blood samples taken from volunteers before, during and after the test showed that the amount of glucose in the mental work process was more variable than when resting.

Researchers believe that the body responds to these changes by requiring more food to restore lost glucose. As a fuel for brain activity, glucose is converted by the body from carbohydrates and to the brain through blood vessels. The brain cannot produce glucose itself, so it needs to be supplied continuously. Brain cells need twice as much energy as other types of cells in the body.

Many previous studies have shown that animals become smarter and live longer when they consume less calories. Most scientists believe that this result can be applied to humans.

And of course, the more you eat, the more fat you have in your body.

"The consumption of too much calories in the process of intellectual work, combined with the lack of activity due to sitting throughout the day can be one of the reasons why obesity becomes increasingly popular in public This is an indispensable factor in the context of an increasing number of intellectual employees , " the research team concluded.