Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Health

We eat more with friends and family than when we’re alone — here’s why

Meal sizes were between 29% and 48% larger compared to when eating alone.

Tibi Puiu by Tibi Puiu
October 29, 2019
in Health, News, Nutrition

People tend to eat more when they’re having dinner with friends and family. Scientists refer to this effect as the “social facilitation” of eating. Now, a new study has come up with several evolutionary and psychological hypotheses that explain our tendency to eat more grub when having company.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham, UK, performed a meta-analysis of 42 studies that focus on the effects of social facilitation of eating. Some of these observed participants eating either alone or with company, while others relied on the participants’ self-reported social eating habits, such as those recorded in a food diary.

The results suggest that when we’re eating out with friends, meal sizes were between 29% and 48% larger compared to when eating alone. This was especially the case for fatty and protein-rich foods such as hamburgers and other meat-based meals.

Interestingly, sometimes people would eat less than they would normally do alone in certain social situations. For instance, women tended to eat smaller portions in front of men — whether they were strangers or friends — and overweight people ate smaller portions in public, perhaps out of fear of being judged. According to one study, these groups would eat 18% less food when with others compared to when they were alone.

“People want to convey positive impressions to strangers. Selecting small portions may provide a means of doing so and this may be why the social facilitation of eating is less pronounced amongst groups of strangers,” Dr. Helen Ruddock, from the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham, said in a statement.

“Findings from previous research suggest that we often choose what (and how much) to eat based on the type of impression that we want to convey about ourselves. Evidence suggests that this may be particularly pronounced for women eating with men they wish to impress and for people with obesity who wish to avoid being judged for overeating.”

The researchers claim that social facilitation may be a remnant of our hunter-gatherer days when food was scarce and communities used to share a common food source. In such tight-knit groups, equal distribution of food resources must have been important — a behavior that has been observed elsewhere, in other species like chickens, rats, and gerbils.

Eating more than other tribe members would have been seen as unfair, leading to ostracization, which could jeopardize food security in the future for a greedy individual. But, if that’s the case, why eat more?

Dr. Ruddock says that the eat more when we’re trying to match the consumption of others in the group. “Individual members match their behaviour to others, promoting a larger meal than might otherwise be eaten in the absence of this social competition,” she commented.

“What we describe as ‘social facilitation’ can be seen as a natural by-product of social food sharing – a strategy that would have served a critical function in our ancestral environments. This also explains why it is more likely to occur in groups with individuals who are familiar with each other,” Ruddock added.

Eating in the presence of others is also generally thought of as more pleasant, so there may also be a psychological reward for social eating, which may trigger over-consumption.

The problem is that we’re now living in a food-abundant society. Although we have no issue accessing food, we may still be acting on psychological mechanisms that are ingrained in us from our hunter-gather days. Just another thing to look out for when trying to meet your dietary goals.

Findings appeared in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Related posts:
  1. Friends are family: study shows we share more genes with friends than strangers
  2. You should call your friends and family out on pandemic falsehoods. Here’s why
  3. Having friends who are friends with each other is the way to go, according to new research
  4. People who eat more tend to take larger bites or eat faster, study finds
  5. It runs in the family: new research delves into how animals perceive color differently, and why
Tags: foodweight loss

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW