Impress For Success, and Fill That Plate – Nope!

In social situations, men may eat more, just to make themselves look good. 

"Even if men aren't thinking about it, eating more than a friend tends to be understood as a demonstration of virility and strength," says co-author Kevin Kniffin, of Cornell University. 

Cornell's study consisted of two parts. The first of the study was an eating competition, in which participants in different groups were either cheered on by an audience, or ate without a crowd. Men ate four times as many chicken wings when cheered on, whereas women who particpated in the study actually ate less when there was an audience. To remove other incentives, the prize for overeating was a cheap plastic medal. 

Previous studies have also shown that men are more likely to overeat if they are put in situations that normalize excessive consumption of food. For example, men may choose to eat and drink more if their waiter is overweight. Another study has shown that men at an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet manage to stuff down twice as much doughy pizza when there are females present than they would in an all-male situation. 

Women, on the other hand, eat less in the presence of a man. When interviewed after the first study, women used terms like "self-conscious," and "a little bit embarrassed," while men preferred phrases like "challenging," "cool," "exhilarating," and "really a rush." Women weren't that impressed by male overeating, while other men were.  

So, remember that the next time you go out on a date, or in a business social situation that involves eating. less is more.