Music and Eating
Posted on July 1, 2007
Researchers have studied the effect of background music on eating habits. In one study, they counted the bites of food people took at meals while listening to various types of music. The Tufts University Diet & Nutrition Letter reports that when no background music was played, the participants ate at an average rate of 3.9 bites per minute. However, when calming instrumentals were played, the pace slowed to 3.2 bites per minute—and the bites became smaller. In the latter instance, most left feeling full, and they claimed that the food tasted better. Reportedly, they also had fewer digestive complaints.
