Can watching horror movies burn calories? These 10 horror movies can give you answers

Modern society is affected by a growing scourge:obesity. In a simple (and simplistic) way, it results from an excess of caloric entries compared to expenditure. To regulate it, the balance must be tilted on the other side, either by limiting the contributions, or by increasing the exercise, or by combining the two. But here are British researchers telling us that by staying warm on our sofa and watching a horror movie, we lose the caloric equivalent of half an hour of walking …\

The context: obesity, modern evil

The overweight strikes the entire world, to the point that today, the people who die from being overweight outnumber the victims of malnutrition and undernutrition. Our growing sedentary lifestyle accompanied by poor quality food inevitably makes us fat. France, despite its art of living and its gastronomy, does a little better than some of its neighbors, but between 1997 and 2009, the obesity figures almost doubled.

What to do ? More diets? More sports ? Not necessarily, according to researchers from the University of Westminster, on the other side of the Channel. According to their study, commissioned by the company Love Film, specialized in the rental of DVD, you can increase your calorie expenditure by sitting on your couch if you watch a scary movie. The Spookiest Videos Spend As Much As They Estimated energy than half an hour of walking. The diet Horror movie soon prescribed?

The study: horror movies that make you lose calories

Ten young people, 19 to 24 years old, both men and women, were recruited to watch a horror film they had never seen. Their heartbeat, their use of oxygen and their rejection of carbon dioxide were measured so as to determine energy consumption indirectly.

On average, calorie expenditure increased by a third while watching the feature film. The Palme d’Or of the horror film that requires the most calories amounts to Shining, from Stanley Kubrick, with 184 kcal parts in smoke. He’s ahead of the podium Jaws (161 kcal) and The Exorcist (158 kcal).

Where does this excess expenditure come from? From the feeling of fear . Faced with danger, the organism must react and prepare for flight or combat. In all cases, the body must be able to endure an effort physical intense. The adrenal glands then secrete theadrenaline : the heart accelerates to ensure that the brain and the muscles are well supplied with energy. These beats themselves also require glucose to function, which contributes to the increase in caloric expenditure.

The outside eye: sport stronger than anything

Is this the miracle recipe for losing weight? Absolutely not. On the one hand, this work has many shortcomings. The panel is small and above all not very representative of a general population. On the other hand, the reactions and metabolisms vary from individual to individual. A fearless person will not see its energy expenditure move a bit. There is therefore nothing universal about this regime.

Second, energy costs are low. According to the authors, they are equivalent to a half-hour walk or a chocolate bar. First of all, to avoid taking back what has just been lost, any snacking is strictly prohibited. In addition, regarding performance,physical activity is much more effective. Shining takes almost 2 and a half hours. In other words, a good 10 km hike can spend up to five times more than sitting on a sofa.

Another point that is important to clarify: even lying on a bed, our body expends calories. The heart is still beating, the brain works, our temperature is maintained around 37 ° C, our intestines digest, etc. So in this kind of study, you have to take into account the differential. In the various cases, it is only of the order of 20 kcal per hour, which remains modest.

Finally, all studies attest to this: sport is beneficial for health. It makes you lose weight, reduces the risks of many cardiovascular illnesses, promotesOrgasm in women and improves the sperm quality men. Nothing prevents lovers of sensations from watching horror movies. But, on their own, they cannot be the solution for better quality health.