Self-Isolating with Someone leads to More Binge Eating

With many of us in self-isolation the threat of over eating is a looming concern. You may not be able to follow your rigorous diet because of grocery shopping restrictions and panic buyers stocking up on vital ingredients for your recipes. This can lead to a loss of hope and finally, pouring yourself a big bowl of potato chips.

The research concluded that the behavioural shift was triggered by the mere presence of a co-eater, even without actual competition. This suggests that the underlying mechanism for the shift may be a built-in system that activates automatically in response to relevant social cues.

For example: before we were all cooped up in our homes and when we were allowed at parties, you would find yourself constantly snacking throughout the night compared to if you were at home by yourself, you would probably still eat that bowl of chips, but most likely wouldn’t go back for seconds.

They found both reach frequency and overall food intake were higher in men than women.

A previous study with domestic chicks helped the Japanese experts come to their conjecture because they are known to exhibit strong sensitivities to the presence of con-specifics. That study, conducted by Ogura & Matsushima, revealed that the chicks approached and pecked for food more frequently when a co-forager was present, compared to when they were isolated.

Research with crows has also shown that smaller foods are less likely to be scrounged than larger foods.