Watching action films in a movie theater or on TV can make you overeat and gain weight.

"We find that if you're watching an action movie while snacking your mouth will see more action too," said Aner Tal, lead author of the research.

Tal added the more distracting a show is, the more likely a viewer will eat.

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The study by Cornell University researchers was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association: Internal Medicine.

It involved 94 undergraduates who were given M&Ms, cookies, grapes and carrots to munch on while they watched 20 minutes worth of programs.

One-third of viewers were made to watch a segment of "The Island," a 2005 sci-fi thriller which stars Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson.

The second third watched part of the talk show, the "Charlie Rose Show," while the last third watched the same "The Island" segment, but without any sound.

What researchers found was that those that watched "The Island" ate almost twice the amount (98 percent more) of snacks than those watching the talk show. Even those who watched "The Island" with no sound ate 36 percent more than those who watched the "Charlie Rose Show".

Viewers of "The Island" consumed around 354 calories, followed by those watching the action flick without sound at 314 calories. Those watching the "Charlie Rose Show" only consumed 215 calories.

"More stimulating programs that are fast paced, include many camera cuts, really draw you in and distract you from what you are eating. They can make you eat more because you're paying less attention to how much you are putting in your mouth," Tal said.

Because of the tendency to overeat while viewing action flicks, researchers recommend pre-portioning one's snacks even before tuning into the show, instead of bringing a whole box of cookies or one bag of chips.

Another solution is to replace junk food with healthier alternatives such as carrots.

"The good news is that action movie watchers also eat more healthy foods, if that's what's in front of them," said co-author Brian Wansink, a Professor and Director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab.