Email Service Notes (Tony)

Your Original Email

I read an article this morning about how dining with friends or in group affect our appetite? A research showed that people ate more in groups than when they were by themselves. Experiments by some scientists also found that people ate 40% more ice-cream and 10% more macaroni and beef in company than when they eat alone. Studies reveal that such kind of phenomenon is caused by the fact that we extend our meal times when we eat in a group, and we eat more in those extra minutes.

The relaxed atmosphere and the joy of eating together may also encourage us to indulge ourselves even before order. It is interesting that the joys of eating together could be felt even if our companion is not real. In a Japanese study, individuals were asked to eat popcorn alone either in front a mirror or an image of a wall. Those who ate before a mirror enjoyed the popcorn more. This may also explained that why some restaurants have prominent mirrors.

But sometimes we do eat less in a company. Our drive to indulge can be changed by the need to behave. We may try to impress others by eating similar to them or control ourselves on purpose. For example, women may eat less with men at their table, but may eat more in women-only groups.

Your Edited Email

I read an article this morning about how dining with friends or in a group affects our appetite?(Is this a question???)  Research showed that people ate more in groups than when they were by themselves. Experiments by some scientists also found that people ate 40% more ice-cream and 10% more macaroni and beef in company than when they eat alone. Studies reveal that such kind of phenomenon is caused by the fact that we extend our meal times when we eat in a group, and we eat more in those extra minutes.

The relaxed atmosphere and the joy of eating together may also encourage us to indulge ourselves even before ordering. It is interesting that the joys of eating together could be felt even if our companion is not real. In a Japanese study, individuals were asked to eat popcorn alone either in front a mirror or an image of a wall. Those who ate before a mirror enjoyed the popcorn more. This may also explained that why some restaurants have prominent mirrors.

But sometimes we do eat less in company. Our drive to indulge can be changed by the need to behave. We may try to impress others by eating similar to them or control ourselves on purpose. For example, women may eat less with men at their table, but may eat more in women-only groups.

Try to use more of your own words next time.