Eating With Men Makes You Eat Less, Study Says
A new study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology confirms what many already could have guessed: women eat less when in the company of men. The study analyzed the eating habits of 127 college students and whether the students sat alone or with company. NPR explains the results:
When women sat with other women, for example, they ordered an average of 833 calories. When they ate with men, on the other hand, they purchased only 721 calories on average.
Perhaps the more surprising results was when men ate with other men. They ate an average of 952 calories when eating with their own gender but when they sat with women, males consumed 1162 calories on average. It almost seems counterintuitive -- certainly the stereotype of men chowing down and watching football together still prevails. But, based on these results, that giant portion of nachos might be overkill...unless there are women present.
The researchers aren't exactly sure what to make of the findings, and exactly how much cultural norms factor in. Earlier studies have already found that men and women have different eating habits and that they diet differently.
Do you find yourself eating less around men?
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First Posted: 10/04/11 01:30 PM ET Updated: 10/04/11 01:37 PM ET