Want to cut down on chocolate? Take a walk

People who snack on chocolate at work can halve the amount they eat by leaving the office and walking for just 15 minutes, according to new research.

The study showed that, even in stressful situations, workers eat only half as much chocolate as they normally would after a short burst of physical activity.

The team behind the research, published in the journal Appetite, said it highlighted the health benefits of workers being able to leave their desks for a short time during the working day.

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Professor Adrian Taylor, from Exeter University, said: “People often find it difficult to cut down on their daily treats, but this study shows that by taking a short walk, they are able to regulate their intake by half.”

The research, published in the journal Appetite, looked at 78 “regular chocolate-eaters” who were given a series of work and exercise tests after going two days without their favourite treat. Those who had exercised before working consumed on average half the amount of chocolate as the others: about 15g – the same as a “fun-size” bar – compared with 28g consumed by those who had not exercised.

The difficulty of the work task made no difference to the amount of chocolate they ate, which suggests stress did not contribute to their cravings.

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