This looks like an article we should all take verrrrry seriously
And logically you shouldn't be munching while watching.

Happy Halloween!

Scare yourself thin: horror movies help burn calories, study finds

Researchers discover watching horror films can help you burn equivalent of a chocolate bar, with The Shining burning most



Watching scary movies can help you burn the calorific equivalent of a small chocolate bar, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Westminster.

Those who watched a 90-minute horror film were likely to burn up to 113 calories – the same sort of figure as a half-hour walk. Some movies were more effective than others, however: of the 10 films studied, the top calorie-burners were the classic Stanley Kubrick chiller The Shining (184 calories), Jaws (161 calories) and The Exorcist (158 calories).

The study found that films with regular "jump-scare" moments were most likely to help burn calories because they increased the heart rate dramatically. "Each of the 10 films tested set pulses racing, sparking an increase in the heart rate of the case studies," said Dr Richard Mackenzie, senior lecturer and specialist in cell metabolism and physiology at the university. "As the pulse quickens and blood pumps around the body faster, the body experiences a surge in adrenaline. It is this release of fast-acting adrenaline, produced during short bursts of intense stress (or in this case, brought on by fear), which is known to lower the appetite, increase the basal metabolic rate and ultimately burn a higher level of calories."

Scientists measured heart rate, oxygen intake and carbon dioxide output for the study, which was commissioned by the movie rental firm Lovefilm. They discovered that the number of calories used increased, on average, by a third during the screenings.

"We all know the feeling of wanting to hide behind the sofa or grab a pillow when watching scary or hair-raising scenes," said Lovefilm editor Helen Cowley. "But this research suggests that maybe those seeking to burn some calories should keep their eyes on the screen."

Top 10 energy-burning scary movies

1. The Shining: 184 calories
2. Jaws: 161 calories
3. The Exorcist: 158 calories
4. Alien: 152 calories
5. Saw: 133 calories
6. A Nightmare on Elm Street: 118 calories
7. Paranormal Activity: 111 calories
8. The Blair Witch Project: 105 calories
9. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: 107 calories
10. [Rec]: 101 calories

Scared thin, eh? Whenever I see LMAO, I wish I really could LMAO.

Their calorie calculations might be correct, but watching scary movies or exercise or any similar calorie burning activity aimed at creating a calorie deficit trying to lose weight won't work, judging by the failure of the eat-less-move-more weight loss concept in general. The human body is way more complex than a simplistic little calories-in-calories-out machine.

Yeah, and then we eat more to compensate. Scared thin? Scared hungry morelike.

BOO!
WAAaaa!...Ooh, popcorn!

As if raising cortisol from the stress of suspense doesn't compensate.

PJ

That article is so funny. I was reading in Jon Gabriel's book about how making yourself scared (like running from a big scary dog) can drive your body to lose weight by lowering your set point. It decides you need to lose weight to run away from preditors, so it makes you thinner. Nice theory. On the other side, it makes you gain weight when it thinks you need protection. In our ancestor's days it was from famine and cold, but the animal brain can't distinquish between the stress from famine and cold and other stresses.