Why You Should Put Your Laptop Aside While You Eat

It has become a rather common habit to eat right in front of our laptops. It could be any occasion: a quick lunch right in the office or a lazy evening with a movie. However, this habit has too many negative effects that we should seriously consider. Obesity, unhealthy food choices, and unfulfillment are some of them, and the list goes on.

We at Bright Side think health and satisfaction with life should be priorities for everyone, that’s why we want to share some information about the risks of eating in front of your computer.

1. It can cause bloating and indigestion.

To digest food properly, we need to sit and relax while eating. Carefully chewing food helps to break down larger particles into smaller ones, aiding in digestion. Any gadgets or laptops will only distract us from what and how we eat, and we will feel significantly worse afterward.

2. You don’t realize how much you eat.

When you multitask, it becomes harder to focus. So while you may be finishing a lot of work, you’re not paying enough attention to how much you eat. Similar to eating and watching TV, eating while working on your computer may cause you to consume more calories than you intended.

3. You eat too fast.

Leisurely eating is better for your health, especially for digestion, weight, and nutrition. Grabbing something on the run will force you to consume more calories. That’s why you should put your laptop aside during your mealtime and concentrate on what you are eating.

4. You feel less full and satisfied.

If you’re eating in front of the computer, you probably pay more attention to what’s happening on the screen than to your food. So we eat more mindlessly and don’t taste and experience our meal properly. As studies show, this makes food less satisfying, and we also miss cues that tell us we’ve eaten enough.

5. You might binge on junk food.

Another common reason why we should not eat in front of the screen, either the TV or our computer, is that we might choose quantity over quality. And processed food seems to be one of the main choices in these situations since it’s just easier to grab. Moreover, we see food commercials that mostly encourage us to eat junk food, which can have a negative effect and ruin our diet.

6. You might snack more.

A study found that eating your meal in front of the computer will encourage another munch later on. The participants who ate their lunch while playing on the computer were observed half an hour later eating more cookies than participants who had their lunch with no distractions.

Researchers call this the “meal memory” — eating in front of the computer makes us almost forget about what our lunch consisted of, and we might feel we want to eat some more just a little bit later.

7. It’s especially harmful for children.

Nowadays many kids have screen addictions, and parents find salvation in feeding them with some cartoons turned on the laptop, especially for fussy eaters. However, even if this simplifies the feeding process a bit, it has more serious outcomes. It will create the same unhealthy eating habits, like distracted eating or overeating, that many adults have. But with children, it will be way more difficult to wean them off of it.

Do you often eat in front of a laptop? Which of these outcomes have you observed in yourself?