Watching Cooking Shows Could Make You Fat



While it’s pretty much understood that cooking at home saves you money and can save you from the gigantic portions, high calorie counts and the expense of eating out, don’t be so quick to tune in to your favorite cooking show for inspiration. New research suggests that cooking shows could make you fat. A team of researchers from Cornell University discovered that there are two kinds of people: “viewers," who merely watch cooking shows, and “doers,” who actually prepare the recipes they see on cooking shows. The study found that doers have a higher BMI (body mass index) than viewers, and on average weigh 11 pounds more than their non-cooking counterparts. That’s because recipes used on cooking shows are typically loaded with butter, fat and calories. By comparison, recipes in cook books are likely to have ingredients that won't pack on the pounds. It’s still okay to cook at home, as long as you’re mindful of what you cook and substitute for high-fat ingredients when you can. Does that mean cooking bacon on the barrel of a gun is out? While you can actually do that, a good guide for how often to have it is found in the phrase “once in a blue moon.”