In a study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology and announced February 1, researchers found that those who fit the people-pleaser profile tended to overeat in social settings as a way to make others feel more comfortable.
Even if they don’t want to, people-pleasers feel an extra burden of pressure to accept food offerings, the study said, and will often eat more in an attempt to match what others are eating around them.
Explains study lead author Julie Exline, “They don’t want to rock the boat or upset the sense of social harmony,” she said in a statement.
For the study, researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland assessed the personalities of 101 college students by a personality questionnaire. Those who fit the people-pleasing or sociotropy profile — who worry about hurting others and are sensitive to criticism — tended to take more candy from a planted actor tasked with offering them M&M chocolates than those who didn’t fit the profile.
But in addition to over-eating, Exline says that giving in to social pressure against their better judgment could fuel regret.
“Those who overeat in order to please others tend to regret their choices later. It doesn’t feel good to give in to social pressures,” Exline says.
In an article about resisting “food pushers” during parties and food-laden, holiday events, Shape magazine suggests either taking the person aside and explaining that you want to avoid overeating or stretching the truth and mentioning a third-party authority like a dietitian or doctor or a mild health condition during the conversation. — AFP-Relaxnews
