MANY of us are guilty of absent-mindedly reaching for a Danish pastry with one hand while tapping on the computer keyboard with the other. Now scientists have revealed that eating at your desk makes you far more likely to snack later in the day. The researchers from the University of Bristol were studying the ways in which memory and attention influence our appetite. They asked one group of participants to eat a lunch that comprised nine different foods while playing Solitaire - a computerised card-sorting game. They gave a second group the same lunch but provided no distractions. The team found those who played Solitaire felt less full after lunch. The effect was long-lasting as half an hour later the participants who played the computer game ate around twice as many biscuits as the non-distracted participants. At the end of the test session, the distracted participants also found it more difficult to remember the food items that they had been given for lunch. The scientists said their findings showed that distraction can lead to increased food intake later in the day, which could have a significant impact on obesity. Previous studies have noted a similar effect at work on people who eat while watching TV. Lead author Dr Jeff Brunstrom, said: 'This work adds to mounting evidence from our lab. -Bristol