Want to lose weight, turn off the TV.

Turning off the radio and TV during meals could help you lose weight because the sound of your own chewing makes you eat less, new research suggests.

According to scientists, eating in a quiet atmosphere will help you lose weight because it increases the awareness of food consumption as well as control of the amount used. This phenomenon is called the "chewing sound effect" which means turning off the TV or the speakers will be a powerful arm to help you in the fight against a bloated stomach.

Professor Gina Mohr, Colorado State University (USA) said: "Both consumers and researchers have overlooked food sounds as an important sensory factor during meals".

Of course, the researchers aren't talking about the crunch of popcorn or bacon here. They're talking about chewing and grinding thoroughly.

Three separate experiments were conducted in the study of the “food sound” effect and all showed that thinking about the sound of chewing reduced the amount of food people consumed. The interesting finding was that people ate less when the food sounds were clearer.

"When you 'mask' the sounds of food consumption - like listening to the TV or radio while you eat - you lose the sensation of the food and it makes you eat more than you normally would," says Professor Elder. "The impact may not seem like much, but over a week, a month, or even a year, it becomes really significant."

So, in culinary, now the perception is not only limited to taste and presentation but also the sound it creates. According to researchers, the chewing effect can "persuade" consumers to eat less.

Eating in front of a screen is becoming more common among the current generation than ever before. Researchers say that 6 out of 10 family meals are eaten in front of the TV. Of the 13 meals eaten at home each week, at least 8 are in front of a screen. One-third of people regularly eat while watching TV without talking to anyone.

According to Vietnamnet.vn