This summer the journal Appetite had a few interesting studies about eating behavior. In one study examining females who dined with friends or total strangers, the researchers found that the women who ate with friends consumed significantly more food than those who ate with total strangers. In this same study they found that those who shared a dish off of a larger plate and served their portion onto a small plate, consumed less than people who used individual serving bowls larger plates.
In another study conducted with college students, the scientists found that women ate significantly less when they ate with men compared to when they ate with other women. In fact, when women ate in mixed gender groups, the amount of men present had an indirect correlation to food intake (more men = women consumed less food). I suppose this study isn’t totally surprising as many women have told me they will order a salad when they are on a date so their date doesn’t see them “pigging out.”
What’s the bottom line for women trying to lose weight? Use smaller plates, share your food, dine with strangers (okay, maybe not) and eat with men you don’t know too well but want to impress.