You would think that playing a computer game and increasing general excitement would increase cravings especially for snacks. Apparently, playing Tetris has the opposite affect. Tetris, even for as little as three minutes calms the brain. The desire for food, coffee, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, sex and sleep are reduced by 20 per cent.
The block-shifting game takes concentrated brain power to play well. Keeping the brain "occupied" keeps distractions at bay. Contrary to the myth, women and men can only do one task at a time. It is still surprising how sitting down and passively watching television increases appetite.
The research was carried out by Queensland's QUT and Plymouth University in England. It was done for a week. Preliminary finding are positive. Work needs to be done on other games such as shoot 'em ups and role playing. Perhaps current beliefs are totally wrong.
◆ Chemistry by Ty Buchanan ◆
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