Do you overeat because your friends

 Messmate you can change significantly the way you eat, not even understand. In some cases this can lead to overeating, especially if one tries to make a good impression or to trust the opposite, a new study concludes.

In a study published in the medical journal PLoS One, a team of Dutch researchers invited 140 women to dine together in pairs in laboratory conditions resembled those in a real restaurant. The result was surprising: the participants were willing to bite of fat the same time to copy the behavior of fellow mass.

This phenomenon was three times more common in the early evening than in the end, suggesting that women who were complete strangers have tried thus to make a good impression on one another.

Researchers say this finding explains previous studies have observed higher food intake in people eating in the company of others.

"This demonstrates the power of social influence on food intake," says lead author of the article Roel Hermans. He added that it is important that people are aware of these factors because they can lead to systematic overeating, especially if one is accustomed to eating in a team.

Although Hermans and his colleagues can not say with certainty whether the participants had imitated one another, to gain their trust, they have serious doubts in this regard. Past research shows they think people who consume a small amount of food in the company of other, often dislike his company.