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Next time you sit down to watch a sad film, leave the snacks in the cupboard. Research shows that we eat up to 55 per cent more when watching a weepy movie than a happy one. It is thought that we eat to make us feel better.

With popcorn and ice cream among the favorite foods of film-goers, the phenomenon suggests bad news for dieters.

US researchers offered a group of office workers a range of snacks while they watched the weepy Love Story and Sweet Home Alabama, a cheerful, funny film. Researcher said, “After the movies were over and the tears were wiped away, those who had watched Love Story had eaten 36 per cent more popcorn.”

A second experiment involved collecting popcorn boxes from the floors and bins of cinemas and working out which films led people to consume that much. Those who watched the George Clooney tear-jerker Solaris ate their way through 55 per cent more popcorn than those who chuckled(咯咯地笑) their way through My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

And it is not just weepy movies that are bad by the waistline. In a previous study, researchers showed action films also increase appetite. Those who watched Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson thriller The Island ate more than people sitting in front of a current affairs chat show.

Researchers explained, “With action movies, people seem to eat to the pace of the movie. But movies can also generate emotional eating and people may eat to compensate for sadness.”

Medical researchers point out that there is no need for slimmers to limit themselves to a diet of slow-moving, non-emotional documentaries. Instead, they recommend that those watching their weight put snacks out of reach. “Keep snacks out of arm’s reach.” they said, “Ideally leave them in the kitchen and only bring to the couch what you intend to eat. Or you might swap popcorn and sweets for cut up pieces of fruit and vegetables. It’s easier to become slim by design than by willpower.”