According to an Australian study, the people who accompany us during our meals can influence the amount of food we decide to eat.
With summer approaching, those most concerned about their figure have already started a diet. And for it to be as effective as possible, researchers suggest extending it beyond the plate. But until where?
According to the French press agency Relaxnews, the person we usually have lunch or dinner with can greatly influence our eating habits, especially in terms of the amount of food we eat, according to a meta-analysis of 38 studies from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney (Australia).
The influence of the friend’s plate
For the study’s lead author, Lenny Vartanian, who published his findings in the journal Social Influence, it is a psychological spring called “social modeling”, which encourages consumers to consume less than usual if their sidekick has little appetite.
According to him, this phenomenon occurs because in social situations the portions can vary greatly between people and contexts.
Practicing at the school of psychology of the UNSW he specifies: “Internal signals like hunger and the feeling of satiety are often unreliable indicators (…) In these situations one can follow the example of the other to decide how much food to eat. “
Women more sensitive to social modeling
During his work, this scientist also discovered that the phenomenon of social modeling occurs regardless of the weight of the person. However, it seems that women are more likely to succumb to it than men.
“This difference between the sexes can be explained by the fact that women seem to be more sensitive to how others perceive them when they eat,” says Prof. Vartanian.
“It is interesting to note that this mirror effect occurs even in the absence of a partner at the table,” he explains. The study shows that the person who takes his meal by reading a simple description of the dishes that his absent partner would take also adapts his consumption to the other.
Onset in older children and through adulthood
In the end, it also emerges from this meta-analysis that the phenomenon is more present in older children than in small children, “which suggests that the process of imitating the other is a behavior that we acquire”, emphasize the researchers.
“Research shows that social factors have a strong influence on our consumption. If the social model eats in large quantities, the person in front has the freedom to eat their normal ration, or even more if they want, ”concludes Lenny Vartanian.
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