Day 80: It's Only The Beginning Of The End [T-Minus 10]

There was an interesting article by Michael O’Shea in the Parade Magazine. The basic premise of the story is that it’s not necessarily the kinds of foods that people eat that will make them overweight, but the influence of the who is eating with them when food is present. Based upon some studies people will tend to eat more when around friends than around strangers, and if the friends are overweight, then there was a higher probability that the person would be overweight too.

One study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined the eating habits of normal-weight and overweight children aged 9 to 15 when paired with friends or strangers. What they found was that the participants who dined with friends ate more than those who were dining with children they didn’t know. They also noticed that overweight friends ate more than leaner friends.

Part of this study can be based on the ideals of etiquette. Of course people would be less likely to eat more when around strangers—it’s just being polite company and common courtesy. When a person is meeting someone for the first time, individuals tend to be on their best behavior. They are mindful of what they are eating and drinking which would make them consume more moderately than normal. They’re trying to make a good first impression to this brand new person they’re meeting for the first time. To gorge oneself in such a social setting would be a definite faux pas, and it would leave the stranger with an unfavorable image. The phrase my mom used all the time on my brother and I comes to mind—“Did you grow up in a barn?”

On the other hand, when a person is hanging out with friends (especially close friends), the rules of etiquette change. People don’t need to be overly conscious of how their actions look to others because of the close social relationship. Plus, the interaction is different too. A person can be more relaxed with friends than they can with a stranger. Unfortunately, that relaxed state can lead to “mindless eating.” Because they’re laughing and having fun, the amount of food that goes into their bodies becomes a very unconscious reaction.

It’s not the people around an individual that makes them fat, it’s their conscious/unconscious reaction to the stimuli that’s around them. A person doesn’t need to ignore their friends if they want to maintain a healthy weight, they just cannot allow the social interaction to override their own well-beling. If one is mindful of the world around them, then one can control what goes into the body and still have a good time.