Social Eating

I was reminded as I was spending time with my roommates how easy it is to just eat aimlessly while socializing. This is an interesting thing to think about because much of our eating habits have turned into something that is centered around being social. What I mean by that is that we plan specific activities around eating, such as going out to dinner, dinner parties, holiday parties complete with buffets and many more.

Now I am not saying that we should avoid going to the previously mentioned events but rather have an awareness of what we are putting into our mouth while we are catching up with friends.

Cynthia Sass wrote the article Overcome Social Eating Temptations in Shape magazine that discussed why social eating can be such a big problem and how to practically combat that. Sass argues that, "when it comes to social eating, the bad news is that it can be one of the strongest negative influences on the way we eat."

She then lists three strategies, specifically for women, that can be implemented in order to control the urge of social eating:

1. Consciously become the pacesetter
2. Break the "eatertainment" pattern
3. Turn to the web for support

Social eating is a problem not only for people in their twenties but springs up in all ages of life. Next time you are going to a social gathering where the main event is eating, consciously think about your limits before going and it will be an enjoyable time.