Study finds fans of losing teams eat unhealthfully

A new study shows how well the Arizona Cardinals do this season may have an impact on fans’ waistlines.

A study in the academic journal Psychological Science found that fans of losing teams consume more calories than those who root for winning teams.

“It actually does make sense because whenever anybody has anxiety about something, your body produces what’s called stress-hormones,” said Scottsdale dietician Karen Graham.

Graham said when people feel that stress, they tend to eat foods that produce so-called “happy hormones,” which are often high in fat and sugar.

“There are foods that are healthier that will have same sort of feeling and help you relax,” said Graham. “Those are foods that are typically high in tryptophan, and they give you this feeling of relaxation.”

Walnuts, avocados, bananas are just some foods that are a healthy alternative to a bag of chips or tub of ice cream. Foods that are high in Omega 3, such as salmon and flax seed, can also help change fan’s moods after their team loses, according to Graham.

“If you root for a losing team, it’s good to keep these things around your office or at home so you can reach for those and get that same sort of benefit without all of the saturated fat and calories,” she said.