• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Motive Nutrition

Motive Nutrition

Healthy recipes. Nutrition tips. Motivation.

  • About
    • Meet Vanessa
    • Our philosophy
    • The MN Team
  • blog
    • Meal Prep
    • Eating Well
      • Nutrition Tips
      • Mindful Eating
    • Living Well
      • Mom & Baby
      • Self-care
    • Videos
  • Services
    • Coaching
      • General nutrition
      • Sports nutrition
      • Prenatal nutrition
      • Fertility nutrition
      • PCOS nutrition
      • IBS nutrition
      • Low-Fodmap diet
    • Speaking and Corporate Services
  • Recipes
  • Book an appointment
  • Fr

Are you a social eater?

June 26, 2012 | byVanessa Perrone

social eater

A few weeks ago, C and I were invited to a friend’s house for a BBQ. It was a casual, fun evening and we chatted over homemade burgers and wine. After finishing our plates and feeling satisfied, C noticed a platter with extra burgers at the centre of the table and decided “Oh heck, I’m having another one. Are you having a second one too?” he asked his fellow male friend, passing him the platter. And so, the eating continued a little while longer. Later that evening, as we stepped back into the car, C turned to me and tells me he feels painfully full. So I asked him what made him reach for that second burger and he responded:

“Oh no, am I a social eater?”

Is he? I thought to myself.  Being the eating behaviour junkie that I am, I decided to find out.

As it turns out, the phenomenon C was referring to is known as the social facilitation of eating ; in the presence of others, people tend to eat more than when they are alone. How much more? Studies on social facilitation show that people can eat 30-50% more in the presence of others and that this effect gets stronger as group size increases.

Why does this happen? In a study published in the journal Physiology and Behaviour, researchers had volunteers keep 7-day food diaries recording what they ate, how much, when and where they ate it, as well as the social context in which they ate. Their explanation for the social facilitation of eating? The time-extention hypothesis. Having more people present extends the duration of the meal, leading to a greater intake of food. So it isn’t because we eat faster, nor that we are hungrier or happier, but that greater intake is mostly a function of how long we’re sitting at the table and in the presence of food.

It also seems that this effect is stronger around family and friends than it is around strangers. Some authors suggest that in the presence of a stranger, we may want to make a good impression and as a result, we may control our intake or keep the meal shorter. On the other hand, when surrounded by friends, we feel more disinhibited and well, simply don’t care as much.

The takeaway

Eating behaviour is mediated by many factors and when making changes, it’s important to consider elements that go way beyond the food on our plates. Does this mean that you should start flying solo? No. Just use this as food for thought as you enter the long-weekend and a summer filled with social events and family cookouts. 

The tip for the social eater

Decide what and how much you plan to eat before you start your meal. Once you get carried away in conversations with family and friends it’s easy to lose track of what and how much you’ve eaten without a guideline. So make a plan beforehand and try sticking to it!

So tell me, are you a social eater?

 

Photo credit: A well traveled woman tumblr

Previous Post
Next Post

You might also like:

Is your little one getting enough iron?
Are you eating enough for your workouts?
Favorites
Tips for IBS relief (before going low-fodmap)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Monica says

    July 20, 2012 at 12:15 am

    Guilty! I am aware of this too but I can’t stop myself. My friends and I always order more than enough food and I’m usually the one to clean the plates. Definitely need to find a solution to this problem!

    Reply

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More

RECIPES

LIVING WELL

EATING WELL

MAKE HEALTHY CHANGES TODAY!

Footer

  • Press & Media
  • Join our team
  • Contact
  • Terms & Privacy
© Motive Nutrition 2023. All rights reserved | Site by LAG

Copyright © 2025 · Motive Nutrition Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement and Social Media
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Save & Accept
Powered by CookieYes Logo