The kitchen is generally the place to avoid if you want to stop tempting yourself with yummy treats; however those who spend more time in this room of the house are likely to have lower BMIs.
Spend more time on your meals!
ElectrlQ found that those people who spend 45 minutes or more carry less excess weight than those who pop in and out making themselves something quick and easy.
People who set aside time to cook a meal from scratch are also more active and exercise 2-3 times per week- perhaps because they care more about their bodies both inside and out.
Those who spend little or no time making their meals exercise far less and have a BMI that is classed as unhealthy.
Victor Stoica, managing director at ElectrIQ, commented: "What we can see here is that there is a clear correlation between the level of fitness, and time spent preparing food. Clearly those who are spending very little amounts of time in the kitchen - perhaps eating on impulse instead of preparing full meals, or just shoving pre-made dishes into the oven - are not putting as much time or thought into their diets, and this is having a knock-on effect in terms of their weight. Meanwhile, those who are more considered in their food preparation are more likely to exercise on a regular basis and be fitter.
"The good news, however, is that while spending more time preparing food suggests you are more inclined to make better choices - you don't have to spend ages cooking to be healthy. It is actually easier than ever to do so - as long as you maintain a well-planned approach to your diet, you can achieve this without slaving away in the kitchen and having to invest lots of money in expensive gadgets, thanks to a new wave of affordable and healthy appliances including halogen ovens, electric slicers and choppers, juicers and food dehydrators, which can be used to prepare healthy food, fast and cheaply."
People who choose to make their meals from a set of ingredients rather than from packet or plastic tub also fit in their 5 a day too. So it's about time you made better friends with your kitchen rather than paying it a quick visit every now and then!