People Who Exercise Are More Likely To Binge, Finds A New Research

A new research from universities in Taiwan and Boston revealed why dieters who work out are more likely to binge. People who considered themselves as dieters were conditioned to measure the calories they eat and burn up. This is the reason why most of them regard exercising as a license to binge.

“Dieters have a greater need than non-dieters to justify food consumption and, as such, they have increased sensitivity to entitlement cues, such as exercising,” the researchers said. “Consequently, dieters will consume more food when the entitlement cue of exercise is involved in comparison to when it is absent.”

The study was conducted by classifying 103 student participants into three groups. The first group ate after a workout, the second ate before a workout and the third group did not exercise at all. They were then asked to watch television and were given a bag of crisps, weighing 120 grams. It was found that those who scarcely diet, generally consumed approximately 50 grams of crisps, regardless if they worked out or not. Conversely, those who considered themselves dieters, who are about to exercise ate about 79 grams of crisps. When they have not set themselves to workout, the same group ate 28 grams of crisps. Lastly, 48 grams were eaten by the group, who ate after a workout.

Further into the study, an experiment was also conducted to investigate if the participants’ attitudes are going to be influenced when the workout is considered to be fun. It was discovered that those who regard exercising as fun ate less compared to those who did not exercise or those who were asked to think that exercise was hard work. This then led the researchers to theorise that viewing exercise as a fun activity enables people to slash the entitlement cue associated with it. With this, it is recommended that people view exercising as a tool for improved health, and later decrease their urge to binge.

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