"Tetris" is the Best Way to Curb Food, Sex, and Cigarette Cravings

No more snacks (or sex).

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Tetris is once again being touted as the miracle all-in-one cure of the 21st century.

On top of being one of the most satisfying puzzle games of all time, the Russian video game is now being used to help addicts curb their cravings.

According to a report from Discovery News, the game has been shown to "reduce the strength, frequency, and vividness of naturally occurring cravings". This study seems to suggest that cravings for food, cigarettes, and, yes, even sex, can all be drastically reduced by playing Tetris.

How exactly does that work? The study showed that participants who played the game could decrease cravings by interrupting images that promote cravings within the brain. 

So images of Tetris blocks in our mind will somehow block out the impulse to cram a Philly Cheese Steak into our mouth?

Take it away science,

“It’s great to really want to eat or make love, if that’s possible right now. But it’s a torture if you can’t. So, if we can help people deal with craving — blunt it a bit, or give them some time out — it can not only help them stay in control, but it may make them feel a bit better as well.”

One group of subjects with high cravings played Tetris, while the other subjects were asked to use a computer program that began to load, but never finished. The subjects were then both asked to rate their cravings.

They found that the Tetris players reported twenty four percent weaker cravings than the participants who waited for the never-loading game to load.

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