Computers can make you fat – and not just from lack of exercise.

Research shows that staring at a computer screen makes us work up an appetite for sweet treats like chocolate cake and biscuits.

It is thought that the mental stress of computer work triggers changes in blood sugar and hormone levels that trick the brain into thinking it has worked off lots of calories that need replaced.

Computer games and TV watching have the same effect, the International Congress on Obesity in Stockholm heard.

Researcher Jean-Philippe Chaput suggests that office workers who want to keep trim should take regular screen breaks – and even consider typing while standing up.

Dr Chaput, of the University of Copenhagen, started to research the subject after noticing how is supervisor regularly snacked on chocolate biscuits when doing computer work.

Read the rest of this entry »

• 0 Comments