Shopping and Stuffing Your Face

Researchers from the University of Rotterdam discovered that eating comfort foods or going shopping were effective ways to help forget problems. (The study seems kind of weird. Participants had to write an essay on either death or visiting the dentist. The participants with low self-esteem ate more biscuits while writing, which the researchers attributed to being comforting against negative thoughts. When participants were asked to create a shopping list, those with low self-esteem generally bought more.) Study leader Dirk Smeesters commented, “when you indulge in shopping or eating, it helps you forget yourself.” Yeah, but so does volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club. [MarieClaire.co.uk]