It's the weight loss advice you never thought you’d hear: To burn as many calories as a 30-minute walk, sit on your sofa and watch a movie.

The movie has to be scary and the scarier it is the more calories you’re likely to use.

Scientists at the University of Westminster tested ten people as they watched a selection of classic horror films.

a selection of：一系列

They monitored the viewers’ heart rate, oxygen intake and carbon dioxide output to work out how much energy they were using.

oxygen intake：摄氧量

work out：找出，算出

The scientists found that on average the participants used up a third more calories watching the scary films than if they had been sitting in front of a blank screen.

use up：消耗

And on average viewers burned 113 calories over 90-minutes of film watching – the same amount as a 30-minute walk – which would off set the calories in a small chocolate bar.

off set：抵消

However, the films that made viewers jump in terror were the best calorie-burners because they cause the heart rate to soar.

in terror：处于恐惧状态

The scientists found 1980 psychological thriller The Shining, starring Jack Nicholson, was the best for calorie busting, with the average viewer using up 184 calories.

The Shining：《闪灵》（美国经典恐怖片）

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film Jaws took the runner-up spot, with viewers burning on average 161 calories, while the 1973 classic The Exorcist, starring Max von Sydow, came third, using up 158 calories.

runner-up spot：亚军位置

Jaws：《大白鲨》（斯皮尔伯格导演经典惊悚片）

The Exorcist：《驱魔人》（美国惊悚片）

More recent horror films scored worse on the scale of calorie-burning, with 2007 Spanish film [Rec] using the least, at 101 calories.

[Rec]：《死亡录像》（西班牙恐怖片，片名以摄影机拍摄时显示的英文字母Rec，recording命名）

Dr Richard Mackenzie, a metabolism specialist at the University of Westminster, said: ‘It is the release of fast-acting adrenaline, produced during short bursts of intense stress, or in this case, fear, which is known to lower the appetite, increase the basal metabolic rate and ultimately burn a higher level of calories.’

basal metabolic rate：基础新陈代谢率

Helen Cowley, of movie rental company LOVEFiLM, which teamed up with the university for the study, said: ‘We all know the feeling of wanting to hide behind the sofa or grab a pillow when watching scary or hair raising scenes. This research suggests that maybe those seeking to burn some calories should keep their eyes on the screen.’

team up：合作

keep one's eyes on：注视

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