Social Eating
A strong desire to please others may make you over eat. For anyone who is characteristically a people pleaser, eating with others can be a challenge, according to Julie Exline, a Psychologist at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and her colleagues. Men and women who had high scores on tests for concern with pleasing others and maintaining harmony reported a greater likelihood of “giving into social pressure” to over eat or have foods they’d intended to avoid. People pleasers may fear that a display of self-control on their part will be seen as one-upmanship, the researchers say. It helps to be candid about eating preferences - saying, for example, “that looks great but I’m trying to watch my carbs” - while still be friendly and supportive of others choices, Exline says.