Slimming: So the brain is trained to playing, to eating less sugar

Like a computer game with weight loss can help

In Germany and in many other countries, too much sugar is consumed. The German society for nutrition recommends that this should come at an average consumption of 2000 calories, a maximum of only 50 grams of sugars. This maximum value is exceeded, if you drink half a Liter of Cola. Sugar is hiding everywhere. Often consumers do not know consumers how much sugar is in the purchased foods. A new computer game is now to help, to grab at the shop for the healthier foods.

Researchers from the College of Arts and Sciences, the American Drexel University go a new way, to the increasing number of Overweight counteract. As in Germany, the American population consumes too much sugar, and therefore lays the Foundation for serious disorders, such as obesity, cancer, Diabetes, and heart disease. The Team led by psychology Professor Evan Forman developed and now test a computer game, that the consumer helps to make the healthier choices when shopping. The results of the Team recently in the “Journal of Behavioral Medicine”.

The brain can be trained to sugar waiver

The study results show that a computer can be used game to train his players to eat less sugar, thereby reducing weight and improving health. The game was designed so that it pulses inhibits to pick up in the supermarket unhealthy and heavily sugared foods.

How is it played?

In the game the players move as quickly as possible through a virtual supermarket, with the aim to place healthy food in the shopping cart. There are healthy foods and unhealthy point deduction. The game can also be personalised, so that the Game will not be made before a particularly serious attempt to engage, such as their favorite candy.

The expiration of the study

To test the effect of the game, have been instructed in 109 obese participants in a Workshop about the unhealthy consequences of high sugar consumption. “The Workshop has helped to give the participants strategies for a diet without sugar,” explains Forman in a press release of the study results. The training can help, according to Forman to develop an understanding of a healthier diet, but the impulse to react to sweets, stay there. In this case, the computer can help game.

Game you slim

The Participants had to play in the context of the study, the game for six weeks, every day for a few minutes on the Computer, and then two weeks of once per week. More than half of the Participants lost weight during the eight weeks, about three percent of your body. A majority of the subjects stated that the Games has helped, and that you would put in the Training if it was available. The study results showed that men seem to be more to the concept of a jump than women.

Playfully train the brain

As the psychology Professor tells, have shown such cognitive training games are already good achievements in other areas. For example, it could be shown in a similar project, that a game can help give up Smoking. Theoretically, the principle, leave all of the unhealthy habits, so Forman. (vb)