Although research has shown that lady’s night out is beneficial for women from a psychological stand point, it’s seems it could be the worst thing when you are trying to maintain a healthy diet.
“Women eating in groups of women tend to increase the calorie values of the food they choose,” says Meredith E. Young, PhD, a psychologist and an assistant professor in the Centre for Medical Education at McGill University in Montreal, who led the study.
“When it is a date situation, that’s when we see a big difference,” Young says.
When a woman eats with a mixed group, Young found, she also eats less than when she eats only with other women. “As soon as there is a man in the mix, the amount of calories a woman eats decreases.”
“Women in groups of women tended to increase the caloric value of the food they choose,” she says, compared to eating alone or with men. “The bigger the group of women, the more they eat,” she says. For instance, women who ate in a group of three each ate about 650 calories, while those who ate in a group of four averaged about 800 each (source).
Ouch!!! I had never associated eating with my friends as a negative! For the most part, socializing with friends is an uplifting experience. So if you are eating out with your friends once a week you’re either going to have to watch what you eat and or just cut back. Maybe instead of having weekly rituals with your friends it should be a monthly thing.
Adria Ali
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