That's a big part of why we were so intrigued by a brief article in the October 6 Los Angeles Times. It described a study in which some diners were first invited to watch an actress who appeared to be overweight (she was actually wearing a special suit designed to make her look 50 pounds heavier). It didn't seem to matter much whether the "heavy" woman ate a relatively high calorie meal mostly of pasta or a healthier meal emphasizing salads, people who watched the apparently large woman eat were more likely to make heavier, pasta-centric choices.
We human beings are social animals and there's no doubt we take our cues from those around us. What makes this study interesting, however, is that the mere presence of an overweight person might make us less careful about what we eat, regardless of what they actually eat in front of us. As to what we should actually do with this information, we're not sure. It's only one study and it's not like we can suddenly start avoiding everyone we know who might have a few pounds to lose. Even if we could, it would clearly have little or no impact, especially in comparison with having a sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass in Thousand Oaks at our offices.
On the other hand, especially for those of us who are parents, it might be cause for some serious consideration. Could the very fact that we're overweight cause our children to overeat more often, even if we're very careful to only eat healthfully while they're actually around? It certainly might be one more motivating factor to continue our own efforts to fight obesity. It's food for thought.
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