The scientists have discovered that watching a 90-minute horror film can burn as many calories as a small walk. Thus, watching “The Glow” movie, an average viewer loses unbelievable 184 calories – the equivalent of an entire chocolate bar.
The Daily Telegraph reports that the scientists from the University of Westminster went about studying energy consumption while watching a movie. During the experiment, they examined their volunteers, measured their heart rate, oxygen consumption, and carbon dioxide production. Then the scientists offered them to watch TV. In the end, it turned out that the study participants burned one-third more energy if compared with the period of total inactivity. Moreover, the more horrible the movie was, the more calories they burned.
According to Dr. Richard Mackenzie, an expert in the field of cellular metabolism and physiology at the University of Westminster, horror films cause an increase in heart rate. As a result, the pulse rate increases, the blood runs faster in one’s veins, and there is a splash of adrenaline. In its turn, adrenaline reduces appetite and speeds up metabolism. Ultimately, it allows to burn calories faster.
In the scientists’s opinion, the top ten movies for weight loss include “The Glow” thriller, ranked first. It is a screen version of the novel by Stephen King directed by Stanley Kubrick. The second place goes to the horror film “Jaws” about a man-eater. Watching it, one can burn 161 calories. The third place is occupied by “The Exorcist”, an adaptation of the novel by William Peter Blatty about a 12-year-old girl possessed by the devil. This classic horror film will help you get rid of 158 calories.
“Alien” by Ridley Scott is ranked fourth. An alien killer will make the heart beat so fast that 152 calories will vanish. A series of the “Saw” movies can burn 133 calories. Tle classic motion picture “A Nightmare on Elm Street” is the sixth, and it removes 118 calories, while the seventh place goes to “Paranormal Activity”, a low-budget horror film that is able to relieve you of 111 calories. After watching another pseudodocumentary film “Blair Witch”, one will lose 105 calories, and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” will help you get rid of 107 calories. Of course, the list could not have failed to include a film about zombies – the Spanish “Rec”, released in 2007, will destroy 101 calories.
The initiator of the survey, an employee of the LOVEFiLM company, Helen Cowley claims that we all know the desire to hide behind the sofa or cover the face with a cushion during some terrible scenes. However, this study suggests that perhaps those who want to lose weight, should not take their eyes off the screen.
