UK researchers have found that playing a game of Tetris can help reduce cravings for people with addictions. The study, published in scientific journal Appetite, was designed to test Elaborated Intrusion Theory, which suggests that cravings are not just desire-based, but visual as well. The researchers therefore hypothesized that performing a visual-intensive task – in this case, Tetris – could reduce cravings.
Craving dessert? According to a new study, the best way to stick to your diet might be picking up your smartphone and playing a game of Tetris. Craving food, cigarettes or anything usually involves visualizing it, so giving someone a visual task is often the best way to curb it, Jackie Andrade, a psychology professor at Plymouth University in the U.K., told NBC News. Tasks which focused on speaking or listening were less effective, she said. “It doesn’t have to be Tetris, it could be anything visual,” she said. “It also doesn’t have to be mentally demanding, but if it is, it has a better chance to block the craving.”