Eating With the Wrong People

People are given reasons all the time of why they may be gaining weight. We are told we eat too much, eat the wrong things, but has anyone considered they may just be eating with the wrong people?

A research study printed in The Archives of Disease in Childhood (online) found that people have a tendency to eat more and eat faster when they are with a large group of people than if they are by themselves eating.

This sounds nearly ridiculous, but researchers studied a group of 50 preschool children. The children were divided into groups. Some groups were larger than others and all of the kids were given graham crackers to eat.

The researchers found that kids who at in the larger groups, ate 30 percent more than their smaller group counterparts. All of this is interesting, but then it makes sense.

Working people who go out to eat lunch with their peers on a regular basis have a tendency to gain weight, and then don't quite understand why - even if they exercise and watch what it is that they are eating daily.

When we go out to eat socially, we have a tendency to stay in restaurants longer. When we are at cafes, we may sit for hours socializing with someone but also maybe getting up once or twice more to ask for a refill or get something else to eat.

In addition, we may also eat faster. Researchers say this can be viewed as we are competing for the food on the table and that is why we eat faster. Generally speaking, people tend to adopt the same characteristics of people they are around. This comes down to more than just food and eating habits too.

However, in the case of food, we may adopt the same eating habits of spouses or family members we are in close contact with. (This may not be the case of someone who is vegan who may live with someone who eats meat and just about anything. The lifestyles are too different.)

So, the next time you are eating out in a group of people, it may be best to put the blinders on and not pay attention to the food as much as you pay attention to the conversation.

Learn how to pace yourself and drink water in between bites. Also, put your fork down while you are chewing. This slows the pace at which you eat the food on your plate.

If all else fails, limit how often you go out to eat.