Have you ever noticed that you eat more while watching TV? Most people turn on the TV, find the program they like and go straight to the kitchen to have something to chew. You think TV has nothing to do with this phenomenon? Oh yes it has...

There's an interesting fact: the more entertaining the program is, the more you eat. Researchers say that this happens because distracted brains do not notice what the mouth is doing. While watching TV people merely feel taste, therefore they don't feel full.

What are the consequences of such distracted eating? You start gaining weight without even noticing. You eat, but you don't feel full, so you eat more than you need, which automatically causes extra weight. Moreover, if your stomach does not tell you that you are hungry or full, you'll eat more even when you are not watching TV.

Spending a lot of time watching TV and eating will finally lead you to rather noticeable changes in your eating habits. You will still eat more and more while watching TV and you'll eat more than you usually do during other meals.

There's one more problem: we commonly eat junk food while glued to the screen. If it was vegetables or fruit, there would be no problem, but people like something that has intense taste, for your brain is distracted and you need something stronger, to feel the taste at all.

It's a problem for grown up persons, so just think about children. They don't necessarily have to watch an entertaining program, it's enough for them to see food commercials and they run to the kitchen to have some snacks. Moreover, they surely spend more time watching TV. Obesity in childhood is mostly caused by TV.

Harmful effects of television are well-known for a long time. However, people still leave their kids glued to the screen. Many people say: TV brings the family together. We have a great time while watching an entertaining program. At the same time you are harming your kids and yourself.

Is there any way out? Of course there is. If you do understand that watching TV makes you eat more, try to choose what to eat, and know your limits. Pick only a few oranges or some nuts, instead of a huge pack of chips. Try to watch less TV. When it comes to whole family - play some board games, find some interesting activity outside the house and control your child's time spent in front of TV.

There's no point in telling all the harmful features television has. Everybody knows them; just not everybody admits that they are actually real. Children are extremely sensitive for such things, so you should be very attentive to what your kids are watching, how much time they spend staring at the monitor and even to such details as what they are eating and how much they are eating.

If you don't want to get obese or want to lose weight - turn off the television or at least watch something boring.