Beware the company you keep: the size of those around you can influence the amount you eat, reports the journal Appetite.
In the study, some subjects ate a buffet lunch in the presence of a thin woman while others ate in the presence of the same woman wearing a 20-kilogram fat suit.
Incredibly, those sitting with the suited-up companion scoffed a full 32 per cent more pasta while nibbling 44 per cent less salad than those sitting with the thin woman.
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“This finding emphasises the importance of pre-committing to meal choices before entering a restaurant,” says lead author Dr Mitsuru Shimizu.
And choosing your dinner companions carefully…
