This 10 minute brain training game helps you lose weight by avoiding junk food

Research by neuroscientists increasingly indicates that the brain is inclined towards fatty or sugary sweets because it stimulates a reward response – releasing ‘feel good’ chemicals like dopamine and endorphins through the body.

While a dopamine "high" from healthy foods wears off, with sugar it stays longer.

FoodT, which will be available to Android devices this week, is based on an online game developed by Exeter University psychologists, who claim to be able to train your brain into picking healthier options.

The concept of the game is simple: the user will be shown images of healthy and unhealthy foods, and they have to react by pressing on the healthy option to score points.

By rewarding users who consciously choose the healthy option, the game mimics the reward response the brain has when it chooses sugar or fatty foods.

Psychology professor Natalia Lawrence claims that less than ten minutes a day playing, can re-wire the brain.

A study of 83 adults seems to confirm this: those who played the online version of the game four times in one week, ate an average of 220 calories less per day.

Dr Lawrence said:

It’s very exciting to see that our free and simple training can change eating habits and have a positive impact on some people’s lives

We are optimistic that the way this app is devised will actually encourage people to opt for healthy food such as fruit and vegetables rather than junk food.

HT The Telegraph

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