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Study: Action Movies Can Make People Overeat, While ‘Charlie Rose’ Viewers Nibble

Sep 3, 2014  •  Post A Comment

A new study from Cornell University that considered how specific types of programming can affect how viewers eat has found that action movies spur people to eat more, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The study assigned 94 undergraduate students to watch either the 2005 action movie “The Island,” the interview TV program “The Charlie Rose Show, or “The Island” without sound.

“Each viewer was provided with large bowls of M&Ms, cookies, carrots and grapes to snack on while watching the clips, and these bowls were weighed before and after viewings to measure the amounts of each snack eaten,” the story notes.

Those viewers who watched “The Island” — both with and without sound — ate more than people who tuned in to “The Charlie Rose Show.”

“In fact, those who watched ‘The Island’ with sound ate nearly twice as much as ‘Charlie Rose’ viewers: 206.5 grams as opposed to 104.3 grams,” the story reports.

In a statement to CBS News, study co-author Brian Wansink said, “The good news is that action movie watchers also eat more healthy foods, if that’s what’s in front of them. Take advantage of this!”

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