It's the weight loss advice you never thought you’d hear: To burn as many calories as a 30-minute walk, sit on your sofa and watch a movie.

The movie has to be scary and the scarier it is the more calories you’re likely to use.

Scientists at the University of Westminster tested ten people as they watched a selection of classic horror films.

a selection of:一系列

They monitored the viewers’ heart rate, oxygen intake and carbon dioxide output to work out how much energy they were using.

oxygen intake:摄氧量

work out:找出,算出

The scientists found that on average the participants used up a third more calories watching the scary films than if they had been sitting in front of a blank screen.

use up:消耗

And on average viewers burned 113 calories over 90-minutes of film watching – the same amount as a 30-minute walk – which would off set the calories in a small chocolate bar.

off set:抵消

However, the films that made viewers jump in terror were the best calorie-burners because they cause the heart rate to soar.

in terror:处于恐惧状态

The scientists found 1980 psychological thriller The Shining, starring Jack Nicholson, was the best for calorie busting, with the average viewer using up 184 calories.

The Shining:《闪灵》(美国经典恐怖片)

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film Jaws took the runner-up spot, with viewers burning on average 161 calories, while the 1973 classic The Exorcist, starring Max von Sydow, came third, using up 158 calories.

runner-up spot:亚军位置

Jaws:《大白鲨》(斯皮尔伯格导演经典惊悚片)

The Exorcist:《驱魔人》(美国惊悚片)

More recent horror films scored worse on the scale of calorie-burning, with 2007 Spanish film [Rec] using the least, at 101 calories.

[Rec]:《死亡录像》(西班牙恐怖片,片名以摄影机拍摄时显示的英文字母Rec,recording命名)

Dr Richard Mackenzie, a metabolism specialist at the University of Westminster, said: ‘It is the release of fast-acting adrenaline, produced during short bursts of intense stress, or in this case, fear, which is known to lower the appetite, increase the basal metabolic rate and ultimately burn a higher level of calories.’

basal metabolic rate:基础新陈代谢率

Helen Cowley, of movie rental company LOVEFiLM, which teamed up with the university for the study, said: ‘We all know the feeling of wanting to hide behind the sofa or grab a pillow when watching scary or hair raising scenes. This research suggests that maybe those seeking to burn some calories should keep their eyes on the screen.’

team up:合作

keep one's eyes on:注视

回顾:【读报笔记】系列>>

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