Social Influences on Eating
Some social psychologists claim that friendships and feeling connected with our peers is an important part of our mental health. We strive for a feeling of belonging by forming connections with different people which will also lead to having emotional support, laughter and guidance. While friendships and other relationships are important for our well-being, it can also be harmful towards some people’s relationship with food, eating habits, and body image due to a trend of negative language surrounding food, eating habits, and body image.
The Cookie Study
An interesting study that I found conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota accurately demonstrated the social influences of eating habits (Howland, Hunger, Mann 2012). The study was conducted in a controlled laboratory setting with a small group of college friends. The friends were served a plate of chocolate chip cookies while they thought they were there to discuss a campus issue. The researcher asked 2-3 of the friends to avoid eating any cookies in front of one of their friends. The study found that the students ate fewer cookies as a group when their friends ate no cookies compared to when their friends ate cookies in a normal setting (Howland, Hunger, Mann 2012). They also found that, when the friends split up during the study, the people who were oblivious to the study continued to eat fewer cookies alone. This demonstrates the powerful influence of modeling and group norms in regard to eating habits.
Modeling and Group Norms
Throughout high school and college, I have noticed a trend of negative language surrounding food, eating habits and body image. Although the negative comments people make might not have been intended to harm someone, research has found that perceived friend concern about weight and conversations about appearance has been associated with an enhanced internalization of the thin ideal and body comparison (Paxton, Eisenberg, and Neumark-Sztainer 2006). An explanation for this is the social learning theory. This theory considers how environmental and cognitive factors interact to influence learning and behavior. By observing, modeling, and imitating behavior of an important figure in an individual’s environment, that individual has the chance to be influenced by such person. Friends are considered to be important figures in peoples’ lives and are, therefore, an important modeling source of behaviors, such as eating habits. Group norm settings are also a powerful mechanism in influencing an individual’s behavior (Woelders, Larsen, Scholte, Cillessen, and Engels 2010). If a friend group has certain feelings around food or body image, then adherence to the group’s norm regarding body image and dieting could be essential for an individual to have a sense of belonging and to keep their friendships (Woelders, Larsen, Scholte, Cillessen, and Engels 2010). It’s also important to know that these comments can be triggering for someone who already struggles with an eating disorder or other body image issues. Eating disorders are often kept as a secret from friends and family; you might not know your friend is struggling with an eating disorder, which is why it’s important to be mindful of your language.