Have you ever felt pressured to “just try a little” of a friend’s homemade dessert even though you told her you’re watching your weight? Or eaten more of a family member’s signature dish than you really wanted to? Most of us have been pressured to eat when we didn’t want to—and likely gave in to avoid hurt feelings or making a scene. Now a new study from Case Western Reserve University says those of us who are people-pleasers may be packing on unwanted pounds—just to be nice.
The research found that people-pleasers (those who reported worrying about hurting other people, frequently putting others’ needs before their own, and being sensitive to criticism…sound familiar?) tended to overeat in social settings in an effort to make other people feel more comfortable—and that overeating led to unwanted calories. As reported by Time.com, “People-pleasers feel more intense pressure to eat when they believe that their eating will help another person feel more comfortable. Almost everyone has been in a situation in which they’ve felt this pressure, but people-pleasers seem especially sensitive to it,” said Julie Exline, a Case Western Reserve psychologist and lead author of the study.
Another recent study in PLoS ONE found that women who are total strangers sharing a meal together mimic each other's eating behavior, even taking bites at the same time. Why? It could be that the women monitored each other's eating behaviors to maintain a similar pattern, speculates lead researcher of the study, R.C.J. Hermans, a doctoral candidate at the Radboud University Nijmegen, in the Netherlands. Because the women were eating with someone they hadn’t met before, he said, they might have been trying to connect socially with that person.
With the Super Bowl food festivities looming this weekend, these studies serve as good reminders to remain focused on what you’re putting on your own plate, and not be swayed by what others around you are eating and drinking. Plate the food you plan to eat, and then don’t go back for seconds. Tell yourself beforehand that you’ll say “no thanks” to fattening foods you don’t want, and even to those foods you kinda do want but don’t fit into your healthy eating plan. Then eat as mindfully as you can (and stop when you’re full!), even when watching the game and funny commercials.
