We’ve all done it: you’re in a restaurant, mentally set to order a salad and sparkling water - but then you crumble and ask for a burger, extra fries and a whole trifle.
Good news! This isn’t because you’re a greedyguts - it’s because you’re an angel. After looking at receipts in a café, researchers at Seoul University concluded ‘people in certain social contexts voluntarily consume high-calorie foods with the altruistic motive of making other people feel comfortable’. Bless.
The obvious solution, then, is to insist your healthiest chum orders first, right? Well, only to a point. The study found that while 80% of second orderers chose something unhealthy if their partner had, only 60% followed suit if the first order was a virtuous one.
The healthiest way to dine out is to eat with a ‘rival’ - people are apparently happy to shame them with healthier orders. Thanks boffins!
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