Did you know there’s a strong correlation between our habits, and who we spend time with? Researchers tell us that if we are regularly around someone, we start to become like them. This is usually thought to reflect in people’s opinions and attitudes; having a mutual regard for certain things, like the law or education for example.
It’s now becoming apparent as well that this common theme might extend to weight. We will eat more when in the company of good friends who eat more. A small study undertaken in America found that overweight kids and teenagers ate more when they were eating with a friend who was also overweight, than when they ate with a normal weight child.
Everyone in the group actually devoured more when they were in the company of friends, regardless of their size. But pairing up overweight friends led to the biggest consumption of all. The study was undertaken by researchers from the State University of New York at Buffalo. It highlighted the role friends play in influencing how much youngsters eat.
Certainly, it’s human nature to feel more secure in our actions when we’re amongst friends. We’re not so self-aware with people we like and know well. But there’s possibly more to it than that – we intuitively view friends as permission givers. We grant them the right to define acceptability – in this case in relation to food quantities.
The researchers observed a whole mix of young people for this study. They were split into groups of two friends, or groups of two strangers. All were furnished with nibbles, fruit and vegetables. They also had various games to keep them occupied.
All the ones who teamed up with a friend ate a larger amount than the rest. However it was the pairs who were both overweight who consumed the most in total. And the variations were considerable, as shown below.
The overweight pals who were paired up ate 738 calories each on average. And yet 300 cals less were consumed by the larger guys when they teamed up with a pal of normal weight. Interestingly the normal weight guys stabilized at around 500 cals irrespective of what their pal’s weight was. Comparable evidence of strong influence from friends is evident in attitudes to alcohol consumption by teens.
The research team looking at food consumption had to conclude that peers played an influential role in a young person’s dietary habits. This sounds very negative, but of course it means that if youngsters were to associate more with friends who eat a balanced diet, then they too are likely to adjust their habits over time. A good argument for teaching sound nutrition!
(C) Scott Edwards. Look at WeightLossDietWar.com for intelligent diet advice on slimming products and weight management program.
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This post was written by Scott Edwards on September 20, 2009
