為什么很多人看電視時會不停地吃

Sitting down in front of the television with a meal or snack after a long day is a very popular recreational pastime. And thanks to streaming services that play every episode of a television series automatically, some viewers aren’t even burning the few calories it might take to reach for the remote.

在漫長的一天結(jié)束時坐在電視機前吃東西是很受歡迎的休閑方式?，F(xiàn)如今流媒體平臺可以自動播放下一集電視劇，觀眾甚至連起身去拿遙控器的那點運動量都省了。

But is it sloth that keeps us chewing, or something else? Is it possible the experience of watching TV can stimulate our appetite?

但是為什么我們看電視時會不停嘴地吃？是因為懶惰，還是別的什么原因？看電視是否會刺激食欲呢？

According to the Cleveland Clinic, television isn’t so much an appetite stimulant as it is an appetite distraction. When we watch TV, we’re engaged in the program, which means we’re paying less attention to the neurological and gastronomical cues that tell us we’re getting full. Instead of taking note of how we're eating, we’re engaged in somewhat passive consumption.

克利夫蘭診所指出，與其說看電視增進(jìn)食欲，不如說它分散了對食欲的注意力。當(dāng)我們看電視時，我們的注意力被節(jié)目吸引，這意味著我們會忽視神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)和胃部發(fā)出的提示飽腹的信號。我們只是被動進(jìn)食，卻沒注意到吃了什么，好不好吃。

In 2015, a study published in The International Journal of Communication and Health surveyed 591 undergraduates at the University of Houston. It showed that the more students watched, the more they snacked. The study also found evidence that increased television viewing was associated with a “fatalistic” view of healthy food intake and poor nutritional knowledge.

2015年，一項發(fā)表在《國際傳播與健康雜志》上的研究調(diào)查了591名休斯頓大學(xué)的本科生。調(diào)查顯示，學(xué)生看電視看得越多，吃的零食就越多。研究還發(fā)現(xiàn)有證據(jù)表明，看電視過多與對健康飲食的“宿命論”觀點和營養(yǎng)知識欠缺有關(guān)。

One reason could be that excessive television viewing of news, entertainment, and advertising sends conflicting messages about food. A news program might tell you to eat more fruit. A commercial might tell you to eat more cold cereal.

一個原因可能是新聞、娛樂和廣告?zhèn)鬟_(dá)的食物信息是相互矛盾的。新聞節(jié)目可能讓你多吃水果。而廣告可能讓你多吃冷麥片。

Combining television and snacking also creates a cognitive association in your brain that may prompt you to consider the two activities intertwined. In other words, you might reach for some pizza or chips not because you’re all that hungry, but because you've come to identify television with eating. You might even eat more depending on the length of a program. If you’re watching Friends, a half-hour sitcom, you might eat less than if you were watching a super-sized episode of a drama like Mad Men.

一邊看電視一邊吃零食可能會在你的大腦中形成認(rèn)知關(guān)聯(lián)，導(dǎo)致你認(rèn)為這兩種活動就應(yīng)該一起進(jìn)行。換言之，你去拿披薩或薯條薯片來吃，不是因為你餓了，而是因為你認(rèn)為看電視時就應(yīng)該吃東西。你吃多少甚至可能取決于節(jié)目的長短。如果你看的是一集半小時的情景喜劇《老友記》，你吃的零食可能比你看一集超長電視劇（比如《廣告狂人》）吃進(jìn)去的少。

That’s not to say the content of a program isn’t influential. In 2013, a study in the journal Appetite looked at a group of 80 subjects, half of whom were told to watch a cooking program and half who were told to watch a nature show. Both groups were presented with equal amounts of chocolate-covered candies, cheese curls, and carrots. Researchers found that viewers of the cooking show tended to eat more chocolate-covered candies than the nature show viewers.

這并不是說，節(jié)目的內(nèi)容對你的進(jìn)食沒有影響。2013年，一項發(fā)表在《食欲》期刊上的研究開展了一個涵蓋80人的實驗，讓其中一半人看烹飪節(jié)目，另外一半人看自然節(jié)目。研究人員為兩個小組提供了同樣多的巧克力糖、芝士條和胡蘿卜。結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)，看烹飪節(jié)目的人比看自然節(jié)目的人吃的巧克力糖更多。

So is snacking while watching television that bad? Like most things, it’s OK in moderation. Eating meals away from the TV can encourage mindful eating, which directs your attention to the food in front of you. You’ll be able to pick up on satiety cues when you're not fully focused on your screen. Better yet, you won’t have to struggle to hear your favorite show over all that chewing.

那么，一邊看電視一邊吃零食真的很不好嗎？像很多事物一樣，只要適度的話還是沒問題的。吃飯時不看電視可以讓你專心吃飯，并關(guān)注自己面前的食物。當(dāng)你的注意力沒有完全被屏幕占據(jù)時，你就能接收到飽腹信號。更棒的是，你不用一邊聽自己的咀嚼聲一邊看自己最愛的節(jié)目。