A new university study has proved that ordering a takeaway causes both physiological and psychological effects - for some people.

Late delivery, constantly checking apps, the wrong order arriving and disappointing quality all contribute to so-called 'Takeaway Trauma'.

And apparently the condition can be identified as four stages: fidgety, anxious, irate and lost.

A University of Wolverhampton study, in partnership with Chicago Town, found that the average heart rate increased from a baseline or relaxed 70 BPM to 87 BPM in the period following ordering a pizza, while tense arousal scores - or stress levels - saw an increase with the length of time that participants waited for an order from a baseline 17.25 to 18.38 BPM.

The experiment by the University’s biomedical sciences department involved participants ordering and waiting for a takeaway pizza while wearing heart rate monitors to measure pulse fluctuations, as well as monitoring stress levels using the psychometric questionnaire and the UMACL - UNWIST Mood Adjective Checklist - which measures tense arousal scores.

As stress levels increase further, circa 40 minutes after ordering, a lack of clear communication, the tardiness of deliveries, curtain twitching and the driver going the wrong way heightens emotions and results in a state of being visibly irate, with loved ones often bearing the brunt of this.

The final stage is one of absolute despondency. Frequently after waiting for a long time – around 50 minutes - the wrong order arriving or the food being of a disappointing quality makes people feel lost.

During the experiment, participants had a lower heart rate than when they initially ordered, contradicting expectations that they would feel joy upon receiving the pizza they had waited for.

Dr Martin Khechera, Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “We’ve all seen friends, partners and, if we’re honest, even ourselves get antsy and annoyed during the process of ordering a takeaway. However, it is a surprise to see that the experience has a real impact on stress levels and our heart rate.”