Life

A Bra To Stop You From Comfort Eating

by Nathalie O'Neill

Have you always wanted to get smartphone alerts when you're about to emotionally stuff your face with a cookie (or 20)? Now, there's a bra for that. Microsoft's new prototype bra has sensors in the cup pockets and side panels that detect changes in heart rate, skin temperature, and stress levels — all signs of someone who's about to overeat.

The bra uses Bluetooth technology to send mood alerts to your smartphone. So, basically, this bra lets you know that your emotional instability is leading you to reach for that extra donut — as if we didn't already know that. The lead researcher and cognitive psychologist behind the bra, Mary Czerwinski, explains that it's meant to make people conscious of their "maladaptive behaviors" so they can correct it (and reach for an apple instead?).

The bra was recently tested by four volunteers who wore the device for a four-day period. Their number one issue? The batteries in the bra had to be recharged every three to four hours.

That's all fine and dandy, but most of us know exactly why we want to eat that extra cookie – we hardly need to get all I, Robot to figure out we like to drown our stress in sugar. Ah well, just another reason to look forward to taking off our bra.

Image: EdNurg/Fotolia, reactiongifs