A latest research conducted at the University Laval in Quebec has revealed that excessive thinking can add excess pounds.

The researchers observed the food intake of 14 students after they were assigned three different types of tasks. These included relaxing in a sitting position, reading and summarizing a text, and finally, completing a series of memory, attention, and vigilance tests on the computer.

It was found that despite the low energy cost of intellectual work, students consumed 203 more calories after summarizing a text, and 253 more calories after the computer tests as compared to the consumption of calories after relaxing in the sitting position.

The same was exhibited by the blood samples taken before, during, and after each session. It was found that  intellectual work causes much greater fluctuations in glucose and insulin levels than rest periods.

This represents a 23.6 percent and 29.4 percent increase, respectively, compared with the rest period.

According to Chaput, the main author of the study, overconsumption of calories during or after  intellectual work, combined lack of physical activity could lead to an obesity epidemic.