This Is Why You Get So Hungry On Airplanes
Along with our electronics, it appears we may also go into 'flight mode' while traveling — and this is a mode that still allows for the snacking function to keep working. Have you ever wondered why you feel the overwhelming desire to eat while on a plane? It's not like watching the clouds go by while sitting in your seat is a major calorie burner. So just what is it that makes us want to snack away during a flight?
Professor Charles Spence, a lecturer at Oxford University, reports via Market Watch one of the main reasons we feel snacky while in the air. "The lower cabin air pressure, dry cabin air, and the loud engine noise all contribute to our inability to taste and smell food and drink," he explains. "[Therefore] the food we consume needs 20 to 30 percent more sugar and salt to make it taste like it would on the ground."
You eat to pass the time
We may also have boredom to blame. Let's face it. Traveling may be glamorous at times, but not exactly when you're strapped to your seat with hours to go before landing. Julie Upton, a San Francisco-based registered dietitian tells Vice how simply the desire to scarf down the entire bag of trail mix can be explained. "You need something to do, so you eat," she says. A study done in 2012 backs Upton's explanation concludes findings that eating as a result of boredom was reported more than eating as a result of any other emotion. Spence also notes the danger of eating while passing the time watching a movie or series on a plane, saying via Market Watch, "It is not uncommon to find people eating as much a third more food with the TV on."
So snacky are we flyers that it is estimated we consume a whopping 3,400 calories between check-in at the airport and arriving at our destination, reports Market Watch. So next time you're in the air, you can keep the snacking function on while in 'flight mode.' Just be aware of how easy it is to overindulge with the seat belt sign still fastened.