Researchers make brain training applications to help destroy junk eating habits

The University of Exeter has published brain training applications for Android and iOS called ‘Food Trainer’ designed to help users destroy their junk eating habits. Data from the application is used for new studies about whether this kind of brain training application can actually improve one’s eating habits – and, according to the researchers, it can.

Using an eight-point scale, the study found that using Foodt applications was able to reduce consumption of junk food users with an average of one point. The benefits are observed when foodt applications are used approximately every day for a month, even though those who use this application more often experience greater changes in their eating habits.

This application involves tapping food items on the phone display when surrounded by green circles, but do not tap it when surrounded by red circles. Junk foods are put in a red circle, while choices of healthy foods like vegetables are inserted into the green circle. Users are also given options to choose certain food categories that they can fight for.

For example, this application will allow users to focus specifically on alcoholic drinks or combine alcohol with other things such as bread, cakes, and more poor food choices. This application is free to download in Apple App Store and on the Google Play Store.

This study involved 1,234 participants who were told to use foodt at least 10 times. About half of the participants actually followed the requirements, and the researchers said that overall they experienced a small increase in the amount of healthy food consumed and lost about one heavy pound.