Eating while on the move could lead to weight gain and obesity in those who are on a diet, according to a new study.Past research has shown that distraction can have a significant impact on food intake, with activities such as watching television while eating leading to increased food consumption and risk of overeating.However, much of the research only looked at the impact of distraction on current food intake, rather than future intake.A team of researchers from the University of Surrey, therefore, set out to investigate the relationship between distraction and future food intake.For the study, they recruited 60 females who were categorised as either dieters or non-dieters. They were randomly assigned to eat a cereal bar in one of three different conditions: while watching a five-minute television programme clip; while walking along a corridor; and while sat having a conversation with a friend. After eating the cereal bar, the participants were asked to complete a questionnaire about their experience and then took part in an unsupervised taste test. This involved them being presented with separate bowls of chocolate, chips, carrot sticks and grapes.The participants were asked to rate each food according to preference and asked to eat as much as they wanted. Once they had left the room, the researchers recorded how much they had consumed.It was found that dieters who ate the cereal bar while walking along a corridor snacked more during the taste test, eating five times more chocolate than other participants.Jane Ogden, lead researcher of the study, said: 'Fullness is not only the result of brain and chemical reactions, but a perception that is influenced by learning, emotion and distraction.'If we eat 'on the go' or in front of a computer, we will feel less full as our attention is diverted away from the meal and we don't learn the association between food and mealtimes.'The study has been published in the Journal of Health Psychology.