Study Reveals Watching Boring TV Shows Makes You Eat 52% More

Next time you watch television, pick something exciting to turn on—a new study reveals that watching boring shows can actually make you eat more than you would if you were watching a nail-biting drama or knee-slapping comedy.

The recently published study from Sweden followed 18 women while they snacked and channel surfed and found some surprising results. Researchers had the women watch an "engaging" TV comedy show, view a "boring" recorded art lecture and read a text (for the control condition), all with access to healthy and unhealthy snacks. They found that women watching boring shows ate more food than those watching engaging ones, and not just a little more - a whopping 52 percent more! Those watching engaging shows ate less food than even the control group, and researchers now question whether it is the type of content we are watching, rather than simply watching TV, that is a major factor in our snacking habits.

Watch the video above to get the full scoop on the new study and why researchers believe we eat more when we're not entertained - all the more reason to watch Orange Is the New Black or catch up on Breaking Bad.

If you find yourself getting snack-happy while watching television, check out the slideshow below to learn five unusual ways you can burn extra calories in front of the tube.