From a weight loss perspective, eating while distracted is a common way to sabotage ourselves.  Watching TV is one of the worst forms of distraction and has many negative compound effects on our weight.

1.  Watching TV can lead to eating without thought.  In his book Mindless Eating, Brain Wansink describes the concept of “Eating Scripts.”  We often attach the act of eating to common, everyday behaviors.  Think of the last time you went to the movies and bought a soft drink and popcorn but weren’t hungry.
2. We pay less attention to the quantity we eat.
3. We eat for a longer period of time.
4. The more TV people watch the less they exercise.

Any distraction can be detrimental to our diet including eating while we read, listening to the radio driving, or even eating at our desk while we work.  Set aside specific time to eat and concentrate on that experience alone.

Here’s to the Journey!

(David W. Ball, MD, an Internal Medicine physician, founder of NuVitality Health – a wellness education company, and co-founder of Life Changing Fitness – a fitness facility for Every Body)