Do you eat more or less in the company of the opposite sex?

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The Journal of Applied Social Psychology published a study that supported a commonly accepted social phenomenon - that women eat less when in the company of men.

Researchers studied the eating habits of students at a food court at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. 166 participants recorded what they purchased during lunch and dinner hours.

They found that women purchased an average of 833 calories when eating only with other women, while that average dropped to 721 calories in the company of men.

Perhaps more interesting were the results for men: they purchased significantly more on average in the company of women (1162 calories) than when they're just with the guys (952 calories).

The study posits that, at least for the predominantly American, college-aged students surveyed, "diminished meal size appears to be an attempt to assert femininity in groups that include men. For traditional-age college men, an increase in calories purchased appears to be an attempt to assert masculinity in groups that include women."

The study qualifies that further studies with "students who differ in terms of race/ethnicity, social class, age, sexual orientation, and so forth" could produce different results.

The caloric content was based on the amount of food purchased, not necessarily the amount eaten - so the "are you going to eat that?" question wasn't a factor.
    
Do you eat more or less in the presence of the opposite sex? Does gender perception play a role in how much you eat? Dish out your thoughts in the comments section below.



(This survey is not scientific. Results are based on readers' responses.)