DON'T DINE WITH YOUR GREEDY FRIEND SAY EXPERTS, YOU'RE LIKELY TO EAT JUST AS MUCH AS THEY WILL

If you're struggling to lose weight, here's one thing you can cut out.

Greedy friends. Scientists say the amount we eat is not just about the food on the plate but who you are eating it with.

Women who dine with a companion are likely to eat a similar amount and at the same pace as they do, a study by Dutch researchers found.

They filmed 70 pairs of normal-weight young women – a participant and an actor – sitting down for a meal together.

Each was served the same dinner with a jug of water and told to eat as much or as little as they liked.

They found the participants immediately began copying each other in the number and timing of their mouthfuls - taking a bite within five seconds of the other person taking one.

Women were three times more likely to do this at the beginning of the meeting, a sign they were trying to cement their relationship or win the esteem of a new acquaintance.

Lead author Roel Hermans of Radboud University in the Netherlands said the findings built on previous research reveal women use other people as their model for ‘appropriate' eating.

It is unclear whether this was a conscious move not to appear to be overindulg-

Mirror eating: Recent research has shown that women in particular, copy the eating habits of their compan

ions (Posed by models)

ing, or something they do without realising. He said it probably depends on their personality.

‘We found a really strong correlation between how many bites the young women took. When the other person ate a lot they also did, and when the other person ate less they followed them too', Mr Hermans said.

‘The women were adjusting their eating pattern to the others especially at the start of the meal when they wanted to get along with each other and maintain a

LEAD AUTHOR ROEL HERMANS OF RADBOUD UNIVERSITY IN THE

NETHERLANDS SAID THE FINDINGS BUILT ON PREVIOUS RESEARCH REVEAL

WOMEN USE OTHER PEOPLE AS THEIR MODEL FOR ‘APPROPRIATE’

EATING.

positive social relationship.'

All the actresses were instructed to eat a specific amount of food between 125g and 750g and not to mention the food at all during the meal.

The authors concede more work is needed to see whether the mimicking effect is stronger or weaker for a family member or friend compared with a new acquaintance, and the part played by conversation.

People mimic other traits of those they interact with, including their postures, gestures, mannerisms, and accent as well as eating.

The scientists say their findings not only have implications for dieters but for parents and teachers trying to get children to eat healthy.

Mr Hermans said previous research suggests men also copy each other's eating to an extent, but are less concerned about the social norms surrounding food. They have been shown to follow the pace of others when drinking alcohol.