Turns out staring at perfectly filtered pictures of doughnuts isn’t a great idea.
A new review of studies from the Brain and Cognition journal suggests that gazing at cakes all day – whether it’s on Instagram, the Great British Bake-Off, or through the window of that fancy patisserie on your way home (just us?) – could be making you gain weight.
Researchers suggest that looking at nice food stimulates a craving to eat when you don’t need to. Phantom hunger, basically, which makes you more likely to overeat.
It’s not all in your head: looking at food porn creates a physiological response. You salivate, and your insulin levels spike so your body is prepared for the food it thinks it’s… Read the full story