thinking and hunger
As I sit here and watch my students work on their midterm exams, I feel guilty, and not just because they’re working hard. A study by Jean-Phillipe Chaput and his colleagues (2008) demonstrated that doing intellectually challenging work makes you eat more [1], and my students are likely to go to lunch when they complete their exam.
Here’s how Chaput et al. pursued their topic. College students spent 45 minutes in one of three conditions: rest and relax while sitting, reading an article and writing a summary, and performing a battery of computerized tests. Following the 45 minute period, students were allowed to eat as much as they wanted at a buffet.
Here’s the bad news–although the energy output during rest and relax was only about 3 calories less than during the mental work, the students ate 200-250 calories MORE following mental work than following a rest period. Something about that concentration fooled the brain into thinking that it needed more nutrients. The intellectual activity appeared to increase cortisol and produced fluctuations in both glucose and insulin levels, both of which are tightly correlated to appetite.
I’m not sure how we should implement these findings. Advising dieters to stop thinking doesn’t sound like a great plan. But perhaps we should make sure that when we engage in concentrated intellectual work, we might be careful about what kinds of food we keep around the house or office. Scheduling a rest break between concentrated activities and meals might help, too.
You can also check your tendency to consume unnecessary calories at Brian Wansink’s Mindless Eating website.
1. Chaput, J. –P., Drapeau, V., Poirier, P., Teasdale, N., & Tremblay, A. (2008). Glycemic instability and spontaneous energy intake: Association with knowledge-based work. Psychosomatic Medicine, 70, 797-804.
12 Comments
C_Ritter · November 2, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I get so stressed out over tests that I know that I reach for the higher calorie “comfort” food before & after tests. I need to start surrounding myself with healthier food around those times to defeat the urge to consume higher calorie foods.
I took the Mindless Eating quiz and learned a couple valuable tips. Watch what you eat at Subway – you could be consuming as many calories as you would if you went to McDonald’s (at least you’re aware of it when you eat at McDonald’s!). Don’t buy too many snacks in one trip to the grocery store – you usually end up consuming them within the week, and then you get sick of the leftovers and they end up untouched in the pantry (sounds familiar …).
Amber Thompson · November 2, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I find myself not only craving snacks, but craving unhealthy snacks, when I’m in the middle of studying or writing a paper. Even if there is healthy food around, and nothing else, it is more likely for me to not eat than to snack on that (or I’d make a “quick” run to 711). I think it is also part of the rewarding system. I convince myself that it’s okay to eat so poorly, since I’m working so hard on my homework. Even though the two actions are barely connected, it makes sense at the time. The snacking that I do after a lot of mental work doesn’t seem to be tied to hunger, but rather a need to reward myself and keep going.
ajacopet · November 3, 2008 at 8:01 pm
I never gave much thought to the two being connected, but now I see the study on it, I totally agree, as I am guilty of this! I find myself eating more after a long period of studying or after a long exam, more than I usually do. I think it has to do with comforting yourself after a long task, and “winding down” from the mental part of it.
A_Cornelius04 · November 10, 2008 at 2:07 pm
I think that regardless of the context, we definitely need to be aware of what we buy at the grocery store. If we have junk food in the house, we will eat it. If we have healthy food in the house, that is what we will eat. This is especially important to remember when talking about childhood obesity, but that is another topic. What stood out to me the most was that when relaxing, ie when my mindless eating most frequently occurs, the caloric intake afterward was lowest. I think that perhaps we need to focus on eating as an activity all of it’s own. Not to do while studying or watching tv. Not only would we appreciate what we are eating more, but if we do so consciously (and after a break if you were previously studying) it would help a great deal.
Jennifer Wiley · November 12, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I am a nutrition major, and even knowing what I know, I still eat the more calorie-dense foods during studying and after tests. I will give myself a “reward” after completing a test, which usually consists of Panda Express or something like it. Often, I don’t have time to cook something healthier and just opt for the fast food option. It’s good to know some of the psychology behind it and how I can possibly overcome it. Once I understand how something works, I can usually fix it a little better!
jessberry · November 23, 2008 at 6:29 pm
This actually makes me feel better about my post study munchies. I found it funny that sitting down with your face in a book for just a few hours makes you hungry, so i’m glad that data supports this bizarre ritual. I find that after studying I will snack mindlessly. I will literally completely zone out for a few minutes and eat like some sort of robot. I think it gives my brain a little recovery time and some fuel to keep me going. With finals coming up I’m going to be study with some carrots near by just to be safe!
kesmith · November 30, 2008 at 12:26 am
My favorite study snack is soup and carrots. Many soups are low calorie and have all sorts of nutrients in them. Plus, since it takes a long time for me to consume soup, I feel full longer. Also, it seems that soups are an easy way for me to get my five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
eejensen · December 3, 2008 at 3:54 pm
I totally agree, thinking makes me hungry!!! When I lived on campus I took advantage of the large portions they fed us, and always ended up eating to much. Now that I’m off campus I try to pack a lunch (so I don’t eat as much). The horrible thing for me now is that all my classes are in a row and I don’t have time to eat; my stomach always ends up growling. I still like to snack after studying though, some hot chocolate or a cookie.
kpeters · February 26, 2009 at 7:59 am
This is really interesting to me. I find that for myself, when I am sitting around doing nothing, I am more likely to eat than when I am busy doing school work or something. But I suppose that after doing intense thinking related activities, I do enjoy a little delicious snack to keep me running. I think one of the best ways to solve this problem is to stock up on healthy foods rather than junk foods. Easier said than done of course!
shakiamitchell · March 12, 2009 at 9:11 pm
I’m not at all suprised that correlations with higher eating and studying have been found because I totally get snacky when I’m studying. I don’t know what it is but it happens everytime. Just last night I was up studying and I reached for my box of wheat thins at like 12:00am. I knew it wasn’t good for me to eat at that hour but I was able to convince myself that it was ok because I was going to be up all night studying (like thats a valid reason). I definitely should try snacking on healthier snacks but during these times the less healthy ones always seem to win.
ewalter · March 13, 2009 at 4:10 pm
I never understood till now why I get so hungry during class and when I’m doing my homework. I didn’t know that working your brain out would make you hungry but i guess it make sense because when people work out there body they get hungry too. I’m glad that I”m aware of this now.
JoeGaldamez · June 3, 2009 at 6:32 pm
I find myself doing this all the time. Study here and there, and BAM, eat, eat, eat. Also, I’ve noticed that the majority of the time I do this it’s unconsciously and aimed at sweets. It’s as if my mind has been wired to instruct me to eat after some laborious study session. I even tell myself that those crackers and cheese and also maybe some cake is well deserved after such hard work. I wonder why though. However I’ve been smarter about this recently. I either take a snack break or actually eat as I study. Both seem to backfire my need to “refuel” after some of my studies.
Even writing this is making me hungry.
Comments are closed.