Here are two things to do this weekend: watch football and control yourself if your team doesn’t win, apparently. I came across this on The New York Times wellness blog: When Teams Lose, Fans Tackle Fatty Foods. …For serious? Is this the macho equivalent of hunkering down with Bridget Jones and Ben & Jerry? Did you team just break up with you or something? A recent study suggests that fans’ waistlines may go up and down with their teams’ success.
Pierre Chandon, a marketing professional and co-author of the study, says, “When people feel their identity is threatened, they compensate by eating indulgent food. It’s more difficult to resist temptation. No one ate broccoli after a defeat.” So rather than let those two pieces of pizza left in the box lose too by having nobody eat them, you’ll step up your game and finish them (for the team). But if they win, why might you spring for the reasonable sandwich over finishing the bag of Ruffles? Says Chandon of the study’s findings:
“Your ego is boosted, you have higher self-esteem, and it’s easier to feel strong and good about yourself. It’s easier to delay gratification or resist temptation.”
So keep that in mind when you’re staring down that box of “fuck it all” Hot Pockets. Don’t be the guy whose team is losing AND is getting kind of fat — find a better way to manage that perfectly justifiable angst. Try this.
More football and food:
