When heading out to eat, note that the music in the restaurant could make you fat
Music, even when it’s just playing in the background, can affect our moods and actions. A new study from the University of South Florida, Lousiana State University, and Linnaeous University in Sweden shows that the type of music played in restaurants can make us fat.
Researchers took a look at the type and volume of music played in eating establishments. They discovered that softer music has (surprise!) a calming effect, unconsciously making us more mindful and circumspect when it comes to ordering off the menu.
If low-volume ambient music is played in the background, we are apparently more likely to order, say, a salad with dressing on the side. But if the music was turned up by as little as 20%, eating choices started going off the rails. Customers observed for the study went for the greasy, the sugary and the fattening.
Loud pounding music was the worst. The boffins say it unconsciously increases the level of stimulation and stress, two things that cause us to crave that burger and fries.
In other words, the type and volume of music played in a restaurant can contribute to weight gain. This explains why I can eat more chicken wings when I eat out at my usual place (it’s a loud bar) versus when I Skip The Dishes and eat at home where it’s much quieter.
(Via CTV)
