Online game shows potential to support weight loss and dietary improvement

A computer game has been devised by British researchers that can help people to improve their diet and lose weight.

The study from the University of Exeter and Cardiff University analysed the benefits of the simple online game, which game people to repeatedly avoid pressing on pictures of certain unhealthy foods while responding to others, therefore training people to associate calorie-dense foods with 'stopping'.

It was found that participants in the real-world trial lost an average of 0.7kg and consumed around 220 fewer calories a day while undergoing a week of training using the game, compared to a control group playing a version of the game that used non-food images.

Lead researcher Dr Natalia Lawrence of the University of Exeter said: "These findings are among the first to suggest that a brief, simple computerised tool can change people's everyday eating behaviour. It is exciting to see the effects of our lab studies translate to the real world."

Given that 64 percent of adults in the UK are overweight or obese, the research opens up the possibility that brain training techniques such as these can be an effective way of tackling problematic behaviour and addressing a growing public health issue.