Next time you feel the need to help your cakehole live up to its name and stuff it full of Battenberg, grab a Game Boy instead and fire up the classic Russian tile puzzler. Don’t worry if, for some strange reason, you don’t own Nintendo’s 1989-vintage handheld – there’s a version of the game for almost every electronic device in existence (smartphones were used for the Plymouth University study into its benefits). As little as three minutes tussling with Tetrominos is enough to distract you from any unhealthy desires.
‘Playing Tetris decreased craving strength from 70% to 56%,’ says study author, psychology professor Jackie Andrade. ‘We think it’s because craving involves imagining the experience of consuming a particular substance.’ In other words, it’s hard to picture doughnuts while your brain’s otherwise engaged. The same should apply for any captivating game, so if Tetris isn’t your thing you’ve now got a valid excuse to start Angry Birds 2 or Game Of War, or resume your Candy Crush addiction. Although spending hours looking at confectionery might not be hugely effective.
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