If you plan to embark on a healthy eating plan or at least say ‘no’ to that second helping of dessert in 2016, you may be interested in the findings of a recent study published in Environment and Behaviour.
According to the research, whether you hope to stay on the straight and narrow while dining out, you may be vulnerable to certain factors in your surroundings – factors which may result in over-indulgence.
The study, which analysed almost 500 interactions between diners and wait staff, indicated that if your server for the evening happens to be overweight, you will be four times more likely to order dessert.
The study, which took place across 60 restaurants, established that a wait staff’s appearance plays a role in many people’s choices, with diners ordering almost 18% more alcohol when their server had a BMI of more than 25%.
According to the authors of the study, Tim Doring and Brian Wansink, the appearance of a restaurant’s staff will have a much more significant effect on a party then we might realise.
“Diners may order and eat more food and beverages in the presence of a heavy person because a heavy person sets a social norm. If anything, heavy wait staff might increase sales.”
Hmmm….
