New research published in the British Journal of Nutrition by psychologists at the University of Birmingham examined the effects of a social environment on the consumption of food. The research team monitored 100 women at a lunch buffet and concluded that the participants instinctively mirrored the eating habits of the people around them, even if they were currently attempting to lose weight. The researchers found that when individuals surrounding the women liberally helped themselves to nutrient and fat-dense foods such as cocktail sausages and pastries, the study participants mirrored the choices of the non-participants. In a similar fashion, when the individuals nearby chose healthier items, the women ended up consuming approximately 200 fewer calories by making healthier food choices. Dr. Eric Robinson, a psychologist at the University of Birmingham explains, “We found that pairing people with unhealthy eating partners reduced the amount of healthy food they were eating. They tended to pick the foods that were high in calories.” It’s a matter of classic social pressures and the influence of freedom of guilt, because “I’ll do it if you will.”

New research published in the British Journal of Nutrition by psychologists at the University of Birmingham examined the effects of a social environment on the consumption of food. The research team monitored 100 women at a lunch buffet and concluded that the participants instinctively mirrored the eating habits of the people around them, even if they were currently attempting to lose weight. The researchers found that when individuals surrounding the women liberally helped themselves to nutrient and fat-dense foods such as cocktail sausages and pastries, the study participants mirrored the choices of the non-participants. In a similar fashion, when the individuals nearby chose healthier items, the women ended up consuming approximately 200 fewer calories by making healthier food choices. Dr. Eric Robinson, a psychologist at the University of Birmingham explains, “We found that pairing people with unhealthy eating partners reduced the amount of healthy food they were eating. They tended to pick the foods that were high in calories.” It’s a matter of classic social pressures and the influence of freedom of guilt, because “I’ll do it if you will.”

British Journal of Nutrition, September 2012