According to a recent study, the amount of food we consume and the gender of our dining partners have more impact than our own appetite, particularly for men.
A study conducted at Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab lead to interesting findings that focus on the behaviors around food among men and women and what happens when they are eating with people of the same and opposite genders.
In the said research, men had significantly more food intake when they were exposed in the company of women than just simply dining with the same gender.
According to an interview conducted by CBS News of lead study author Kevin Kniffin, PhD, a visiting assistant professor at Cornell University, it has already been well-studied before than women tend to eat lightly when they're amongst themselves. But, the study aims to find answers to the opposite question and attempts to find further evidences which could tell that men tend to 'eat heavily' when exposed in the company of women.
The researchers invited participants whose age ranges from 18 to 81, and for two weeks, they have observed 105 adults that eat their lunch at an Italian all-you-can-eat buffet. The researchers have also noted the gender of each person together with their dining partners and as to how many slices of pizza and the number of bowls of salad each person ate.
Researchers have then asked the diners to fill out a survey asking about their level of fullness after eating and their feelings of hurriedness and comfort while eating before they left the restaurant. Consequently, the results showed that for men who dined with the company of at least one woman ate more slices of pizza than men who dined with the same male companions.
The results really does makes sense, as eating has a social component that comes with societal influences, says Lori Rosenthal, a registered dietitian who specializes in weight management at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.
