- Currently, Mexico is among the first places in childhood and adolescent obesity worldwide.
- Suffering from scares when watching horror movies generates a chemical reaction that helps burn calories.
- According to a study, “The Shining” directed by Stanley Kubrick is the film that best helps to meet this goal.
Cinema is considered the seventh art for its quality of telling stories of the most diverse types. There are genres for all audiences, although the horror movies are among the favorites of the audience. Although the fascination of people to be scared could have beneficial implications with their health.
The exercise of sitting for a couple of hours in front of a screen generates controversy. On the one hand, it is indicated that it leads to sedentary lifestyle, which is not positive. Although when analyzed further it can cause other types of effects in people.
For its part, Being scared in a fictional environment triggers a series of chemical effects within the human body that would help with weight loss. It is precisely one of the most serious public health problems today.
Current status of obesity in Mexico
According to the National Survey of Health and Nutrition (ENSANUT) 2021, in our country the The prevalence of the adolescent population between 12 and 19 years of age with overweight and obesity is 42.9%. It is a higher figure than in the ENSANUT 2018, which was 38.4%. Therefore, Mexico is now among the first places in childhood and adolescent obesity worldwide.
Adolescence is the stage of human development that presents a series of challenges in the essential adaptation that the young person must face himself, his body and the environment, a greater challenge in adolescents living with obesity, who present psychological symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Although this problem is not exclusive to Mexico. In fact, it is growing more and more and this 2022 the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that obesity rates are alarming throughout Europe.
A new study by the UN agency’s regional office reports that nearly two-thirds of adults (59%), and nearly one in three children (29%), are overweight or obese.
Scares help burn calories
For all of the above, the study entitled Watching horror films burns nearly 200 calories a time published in The Telegraph. As the name implies, he claims that watching horror movies would be useful against obesity.
According to the work carried out by scientists from the University of Westminster and LoveFilmwatching horror movies burns calories equivalent to consuming a small bar of chocolate. Everything starts from the chemical reaction of the body when suffering a scare or an unexpected situation.
Through monitoring a group of people who watched several emblematic films of this genre, it was observed that managed to burn up to 113 calorieswhich also amounts to a short walk.
In fact, the investigation published a list with the 10 horror movies that work best to burn calories.
1. The Shining: 184 calories.
2. Jaws: 161 calories.
3. The Exorcist: 158 calories.
4. Alien: 152 calories.
5. Saw: 133 calories.
6. A Nightmare on Elm Street: 118 calories.
7. Paranormal Activity: 111 calories.
8. The Blair Witch Project: 105 calories.
9. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: 107 calories.
10. [Rec]: 101 calories.
Misleading results?
Now, an important aspect is that the study was never peer-reviewed or published. Therefore it diminishes its seriousness and for some it is an indication that the conclusion could be wrong.
Similarly, there are no follow-up studies to replicate their findings. In addition, it should be made clear that people who want to lose weight must do other types of actions such as a special diet and constant physical exercise to really lose weight.
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