A new study revealed that overeating in men may be linked to impressing a potential mate. Researchers at Cornell University found that men tend to eat significantly more when dining in the presence of women compared to how much they eat when with men.
About 105 individuals aged 18 to 81 years old who were eating at an Italian buffet were observed by researchers over the course of two weeks. The number of pizza slices and bowls of salad consumed by each individual was recorded. The gender of the individual's eating partner or partners were also observed.
Before leaving the pizza restaurant, the individuals were asked to complete a short survey which indicated their feelings of comfort and hurriedness while eating, as well as their level of fullness after eating.
Researchers found that men eat large amounts of pizza and salad when dining with women. Men who dined with women consumed 86 percent more salad as well as 93 percent more pizza or about 1.44 more slices.
The study found that women do not eat differently, regardless of the gender of their dining partners. Women who dined with men were more likely to estimate themselves to have eaten more. They also reported feeling that they were rushed and had overeaten.
"These findings suggest that men tend to overeat to show off - you can also see this tendency in eating competitions which almost always have mostly male participants," explained Kevin Kniffin, the study's lead author.
Kniffin said that the idea of eating lightly among women had been studied in the past. Women supposedly eat less when dining in the company of men, he said, but their study looked into the opposite of this idea.
"Our article looks at the opposite question and finds evidence that men tend to 'eat heavily' in the company of women," said Kniffin.
Kniffin said that they tested the evolutionary psychology theory called sexual selection. It is an understanding that people have a tendency to show off in front of others, whether it is done to show attractiveness or indicate dominance.
He also said that while eating disorders among women have been studied in the past, disordered eating among men has not been closely examined.
Alongside Kniffin, the study was also conducted by Ozge Sigirci, a former visiting scholar at the Cornell University Food, and Professor Brian Wansink, director of the Food and Brand Lab.
The study's findings are issued in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science.
