F’ing Jack McCoy. I knew there was something behind those semi-crossed eyes of his. No one can have a conviction rate that high without having something else going on. He and the rest of the revolving door cast of one of my favorite shows (Law & Order) have been secretly colluding to fatten us up.
I guess I should remind myself he is fictional. Or is he….
No, he is.
I’m watching you… (get fatter)
But a recent study is not fictional. What it showed was that “must bleed” TV shows that feature death (such as Law & Order, CSI etc.) as a central theme make people want to eat more.
Really? I guess so.
Me, I don’t need an excuse. I just like to eat too much. But back to the study…
What they found was “consumers who have been recently reminded of their own impending mortality” buy more food and eat more of the food they buy.
So apparently mortality makes you hungry. Maybe that’s why there is always so much food at funerals.
I think we can use this information to create some new dietary strategies.
You should not watch shows that make you hungry, you should watch shows that have the exact opposite effect. You should look for shows that make you feel sick- like the The Moment of Truth, America’s Next Top Model or anything with Martha Stewart.
Problem solved.
The truth is any eating in front of the TV is not a great idea. It is far too easy to mow through a bucket of food without even noticing when your mind is otherwise occupied (or vacated, as the case may be).
Mmmm.. Jack McCoy….
But we all do it anyway. Do I do it? Yup. Doesn’t that make me a hypocrite? Yeah, kinda. But I know how to keep it in check.
Here are some hints:
- Don’t keep junk in the house (you can’t eat it if it isn’t there.)
- Choose something you can eat a ton of with little caloric consequence – like veggies.
- Use low cal condiments like salsa.
- Drink non-caloric beverages to keep your belly full.
If you are going to eat in front of the TV, do it responsibly and like I always say be accountable for your actions. And don’t blame Jack McCoy, he is only doing his job.
Joshua Carter
http://carterfitness.com
