Apparently seeing overweight people makes you eat more?

[Anonymous]

I just read this article in Cosmo and it says that eating with friends who carry a few extra pounds makes you more likely to indulge in calorie-rich foods, according to a new study.

One of the authors explained the phenomenon this way: "Seeing someone overweight leads to a temporary decrease in a person's own felt commitment to his or her health goal."

Do you notice that your eating habits are affected by the people who are around you? Do you eat more or less when you're around overweight people?

Personally when I see a fat person I have the urge to eat less...

[ArtistBboy]

It really depends on your personal judgment towards people (including yourself). I'm speaking from my own perspective here, but when I'm WITH a fat person (e.g. friends going out to eat) I tend to eat more because:

- I'm not in a rush

- I LOVE to eat

- I'm not as concerned about what I'm eating

etc

Think about it - if your out with someone your EXTREMELY attracted to.. Then your watching your own move to a T.. While if you go out with a "buddy" or someone you aren't attracted to - you really couldn't care half as much as mentioned prior.

The other thing I see happening is that having COMPANY makes me want to eat more and slower.. Mainly speaking of a social setting where we all "go out to a restaurant" etc.. But when your with a buddy you tend to eat slower because it's more of a social setting than it is about the actual hunger / food itself.

So in short, I think those scientists need to limit the factors in their experiment, cause based on common sense / logic.. It doesn't add up.. at all.

~ ArtistBBoy

[RedThread78]

I've heard about that phenomenon to and I have to say I agree with you. I can see where they are coming from though. If everybody in your social circle was overweight eventually you would feel less self-conscious about being overweight which might lead to being more lenient with your eating habits. You could also look at it like this say hypothetically if you were fat (I know you aren't) and you changed social circles and everybody was skinny that would make you almost feverish to lose weight right? I guess the opposite could happen if the roles were reversed. If you were skinny and occasionally you associate with overweight people I don't think it would influence you. You wouldn't see it as being okay or normal unless you were surrounded by it through extended interaction with them. I think it boils down to perspective and point of view. Depending on your viewpoint it can drastically alter what you consider socially acceptable.

At least that is my opinion.

[Charz]

Heres my mistake... I see a really fat person and think wow! I'm nowhere near that size! and it makes me feel better about myself and I'm like okay I'll have a chinese tonight... hahaha I really should stop thinking like that... you never know they might have thought like that once before too :L

[crushsodacan]

Seeing obese people makes me lose my appetite and go workout. It just gives me a mind set of I never want to look like that.

[MakeLoveNotWar]

I'm with her on this. I even watch 'The Biggest Loser' just to pump me up before I workout lol.

[TheGodEmperorLeto]

"read this article in Cosmo" makes me go "uh huh..." cause well... Cosmo isn't known for it's best advice or scientific basis...

I can see reasoning behind it such as trying to "fit in" and if you see other people as such you'll act like it, but I call bullsh*t until I see the actual studies myself.

[martyfellow]

Peer pressure extends to eating habits too of course. If yu're around people eating pizza all day, you will too...Just as people who hand out with zionists wind up having the same racist beliefs even if they aren't Jewish.

[MikeK]

On the contrary, if I see a fat person I'll want to spit out my food if I'm eating something. Seeing an overweight person is motivation for NOT eating.

[AllisonJ]

I agree with with you I tend to eat less if I see an overweight person because I'm terrified of that ever happening to me. I'm actually surprised if what that article says is true.

[SnackG]

I generally eat less around other people in general. So I don't believe. Nice way to make fat people feel like assholes that make skinny people fat just for existing.

[SnackG]

Wow I fail. I wish I could edit the second in general. lol

[Anonymous]

i would think the opposite. overweight and underweight people make me eat less