The winter holidays come with a barrage of chocolate covered temptations at the workplace. The good news is that taking a short walk can help curb cravings for sweets through the holidays and beyond.

That's according to the results of a study that focused on the effects of exercise and snacking in the workplace as a response to stressful situations. The study showed that, even during stressful situations, workers ate only half the amount they would as they normally would after just a short bit of physical activity. Just a brisk 15-minute walk can cut snacking on chocolate or other sweets at work in half, according to research by the University of Exeter in England.

Published in the journal Appetite, the research suggests that employees might find that such short breaks away from the desk can help keep the mind off snacking, and keep the body away from consuming empty calories in the process.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter in England, monitored 78 adults who self-identified as routine chocolate eaters. Each participants was invited to enter a simulated work environment using computerized tasks, after two days of abstaining from snacking on chocolate.

Two groups were asked to take a brisk 15-minute walk on a treadmill and were then given work to complete at a desk. One group was given a relatively easy, low-stress job. The other group the was asked to finish a more demanding task, all in set in a common work enviroment using a computer.

Two other two groups were asked to take a rest before completing the same tasks as the first two groups. As with the first group, half were asked to perform an easier task and while the other half was asked to complete one relatively more challenging. Chocolate was made available for all participants as they performed their tasks.

Partiicpants who had exercised before working ate an average of half the amount of chocolate as the others -- specifically, around 15 grams, compared to 28 grams. For reference, 15 grams is the rough equivalent of a 'fun size' candy bar. The researchers found that the difficulty of the task did not correlate with the amount of chocolate participants consumed. This finding suggests that stress did not contribute to cravings for sweet snacks.

The researchers noted that people often believe that snacon high-calorie foods gives them a boost of energy while performing stressful activities, especially at work. The researchers had found in previous studies that exercise can curb cravings for chocolate. However, this was the first study to show a change in the amount consumed. The researchers also noted that further research is warranted.

The researchers noted that it is likely that endorphins released while performing exercises such as a brisk walk are responsible for the drop in chocolate cravings. A number of studies have shown that endorphins play a role in appetite suppression. This could explain why partipants in the walking group were less likely than their sedentary peers to go overboard on eating sweets in a work environment.

So when bowl of chocolate or other sweets calls at work,  consider doing an experiment of your own: Just walk away, preferably for 10 to 15 minutes and at a brisk pace, and see if you can leave those empy calories behind.

Reference:

Brisk walking reduces ad libitum snacking in regular chocolate eaters during a workplace simulation. Appetite, Volume 58, Issue 1, February 2012, Pages 387-392 Hwajung Oh, Adrian H. Taylor

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