Mullainathan uses counting calories as an activity that “clogs up the brain” (par. 4) to such an extent that the brain suffers losses on “logical and spatial reasoning, self-control, problem solving,...

Mullainathan uses counting calories as an activity that “clogs up the brain” (par. 4) to such an extent that the brain suffers losses on “logical and spatial reasoning, self-control, problem solving, and absorption and retention of new information” (par. 4). Can you think of instances in which you have experienced or seen someone else experience a loss of mental function as a result of a seemingly unrelated distraction? Can you think of other causes for this mental malfunctioning that might explain it convincingly?