It should be common sense. If you are hungry and trying to cut back on calories, it may not be in your best interest to go grocery shopping. But a new Cornell University study reveals that visiting the supermarket on an empty stomach may cause even more negative implications than previously believed.
Researchers found that grocery shopping while hungry not only leads to excessive snacking, but also dooms you to unhealthy eating for a whole week.
The study involved analyzing data from 68 shoppers who were asked to peruse an online grocery site offering an array of food items, including the healthy and unhealthy options.
Researchers found that those participants who did not eat for four to five hours before conducting their online shopping, purchased just as much as the shoppers who snacked on crackers before their virtual grocery shopping soiree.
But this is where the troublesome findings come into play: the shoppers running on an empty stomach bought an average of 23 percent more processed junk food, compared to their satiated counterparts.
And even a secondary field test that monitored hungry shoppers resulted in the same findings.
"You don't buy more, but you do buy more of the wrong type of calories," said Brian Wansink, one the study's lead investigators.
"You buy things like cereal, snacks, chips, candy and other convenience foods that require no preparation and that you can eat right away."
While previous studies have shown that people who had not eaten for up to 18 hours tend not to purchase the healthiest food items, this is the first study to show that even being a little bit hungry may have an affect on the amount of calories that end up in your shopping cart.
So, what should you take away from this study?
"It helps to plan your visit to the supermarket and if you're hungry, eat an apple before you go," Wansink says.