Do Tetris weight loss claims stack up?

Conclusion This human study tentatively indicates that an involved visual task, such as playing Tetris for three minutes, might reduce the immediate cravings of adults more than a less involved control task of the same duration – in this case showing them a loading screen progress bar. This lends support to the idea that cravings may have a visual element but there are many questions still unanswered. For instance, was there anything specific about Tetris that reduced cravings, or could any mildly involved task, such as a crossword or reading a magazine, equally distract people from their cravings in the same way? This element was not addressed in this current research, which tested only Tetris against the loading screen comparator group. The results also came from a relatively unrepresentative group who were predominantly young adult women and who were craving food and drink items. Only a small number craved nicotine and caffeine so the findings are a lot less generalizable to these specific cravings. The results in older people, who may be less willing and interested in playing Tetris, were also not assessed and may be different. The group was relatively small, 80 people analysed in the results, so it was not possible to see if the task varied by underlying craving intensity. For example, was the task particularly effective in those with the strongest cravings? The craving information gathered related to feelings at the time participants were doing the task, rather than...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Medical practice Mental health Source Type: news