The amount eaten in meals by humans is a power function of the number of people present
Abstract
The influence of social factors on the eating behaviors of humans was investigated by paying 153 adults to maintain 7-day diaries of everything they ingested and the number of other people present. Over 3800 meals were separated according to the number of other people present at the meal. Meal size, macronutrient composition, and the deprivation ratio was found to increase while the satiety ratio decreased as a function of the number of people present in a fashion best described by a power function. Meal duration and the rate of intake were best described as linear functions of the number of people present. Meals eaten in large groups were over 75% larger than when eaten alone. The findings suggest that social facilitation of naturally occurring meal intake by humans is an extremely potent influence on intake that is an instance of a very general phenomenon governing many forms of behavior.
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Eating is a social act, and eating in company is known to stimulate dietary intake, also in older persons.
“Eating is a social act, and eating in company is known to stimulate dietary intake, also in older persons (70,71).”
From ESPEN practical guideline: Clinical nutrition and hydration in geriatrics (2022) · cites this paper as [71]
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ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT INCREASE THE FOOD INTAKE AND CONSUMPTION VOLUME OF UNKNOWING CONSUMERS
Wansink, B. (2004) · Annual Review of Nutrition · doi:10.1146/annurev.nutr.24.012003.132140 · Cited by 1,036 · see citing works
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Self-citationCould Behavioral Economics Help Improve Diet Quality for Nutrition Assistance Program Participants?
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Self-citation
- Authors
- de Castro, J. M., & Brewer, E. M.
- Affiliations
- Georgia State University (US)
- Venue
- Physiology & Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1992-01
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 121-125
- ISSN
- 0031-9384 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2075611175
- Cited by
- 335
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 25
- FWCI
- 4.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Physiology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Georgia State University
- National Institutes of Health (5r01dk039881-03)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01-DK39881-01A2)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Keywords
- social facilitation, dietary habits, meal size, power function, macronutrient composition, meal duration
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Energy Intake, Feeding Behavior, Female, Food Deprivation, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Satiety Response, Social Environment, Social Facilitation
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