How Football Can Change What You Eat

Looking to make smarter food choices in 2018? Then you may want to avoid rooting for certain football teams.

Believe it or not football can have an affect on how you eat.

This is probably terrible news for Cleveland Browns fans, but according to a French marketing study you will likely eat more food and fattier food the day after your team loses.

The study, conducted by Pierre Chandon, a professor of marketing at the business school INSEAD in France, found that the day after watching your favorite team lose you are likely to consume 16-28 percent more high-calorie, high-fat foods than average.

And conversely when your team wins you'll eat 9-11 percent more healthy foods.

You will likely eat more food and fattier food the day after your team's loss.

The study found that junk food eating is actually a form of self-medicating. You feel down about the loss and the high-calorie foods provide pleasure for your brain.

And though some people may self-medicate this way on a daily basis, the football study found that

When we look at the behavior of people living in cities where football is really important — places like Green Bay, Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, then the performance of the team has an even greater impact on what they eat,"

I certainly think New England as whole can fall into this "football is really important" group.

So I for one hope for plenty more post-season victories, so we can all stick to those healthier eating New Year's resolutions!