title: Modeling of eating style and its effect on intake.
abstract: Observational research has indicated that modeling of eating style might occur when eating in the presence of an eating companion. This experiment investigated the effect of bite frequency of a same-sex eating companion on bite frequency, meal size and meal duration. A total of 30 normal weight young adults (m/f = 8/22, age: 21.2 ± 1.9 years, BMI: 21.2 ± 1.6 kg/m(2)) had three ad libitum meals together with a same-sex confederate (i.e. instructed eating companion). Confederates were instructed to eat at a slow (3 bites/min), medium (5 bites/min) or fast (7 bites/min) bite frequency in randomized order. Eating style was assessed through video registration and weighing left-overs. It was found that the participants' bite frequency was similar during all three conditions, i.e. slow: 3.9 ± 1.3, medium: 4.0 ± 1.1, fast: 4.0 ± 1.3 bites/min (p = 0.75), as was average bite size (11 ± 2.6 g). Time eaten of the participants was shorter in the medium (14.9 ± 3.6 min) and fast condition (14.4 ± 3.7 min) compared to the slow condition (16.8 ± 4.8 min) (post hoc in both cases p < 0.01), and intake was lower in the medium (634 ± 183 g) and fast condition (624 ± 190 g) compared to the slow condition (701 ± 220 g) (post hoc in both cases p < 0.05). This experimental study suggests that bite frequency is not affected by the confederate. However, the meal duration of the confederates showed a significant effect on the meal duration and meal size of the participants. It seems that intake was influenced as a result of copying meal termination.
authors.affiliation: Wageningen University, PO Box 8129, NL-6700 EV, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Janet H W
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: van den Boer
authors.affiliation: Wageningen University, PO Box 8129, NL-6700 EV, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: monica.mars@wur.nl.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mars
mesh_terms: D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication; D062407:Meals; D012737:Sex Factors; D066252:Sociological Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bite frequency; Eating rate; Eating style; Intake; Meal duration; Modeling