A series of studies undertaken by the University of Limerick, in conjunction with the University of Southampton and the University of Kent, indicate that boredom leads to unhealthy eating as it helps to distract from the unpleasant boredom experience.

The research project involved a diary study and two experiments, used to measure the correlation between boredom and unhealthy eating.

A week-long diary study showed that boredom predicted calorie, fat, sugar, and protein consumption. Experimental studies showed that boredom increased the desire to consume snacks as opposed to healthy foods, except in the case of “exciting” healthy foods like cherry tomatoes.

In summary, these results show that maladaptive and adaptive eating behaviours are consequences of the need to distant the self from the experience of boredom.

Furthermore, healthy food seems to serve as alternative to maladaptive consumption following boredom – only if the food is exciting enough.