Be Aware Of Your Surroundings!

Hi Fit Friends,

Did you know studies have shown that we tend to eat at the pace of the person at the table who eats the fastest?

Most of us think overeating is a sign of poor self-control. When in fact, there may be underlying circumstances that encourage us to have that second helping. Researchers at the University of Georgia set out to determine how positive social influences affect self-control compared to negative social influences.

They designed five independent studies. In one study the participants were asked to think of a friend that they believed to have good or bad self-control. Those who thought about someone with good self-control had improved self-control and vice versa.

In a second study, participants simply watched other people make a choice to eat a carrot or a cookie. Those who watched the carrot eaters were more likely to grab one themselves and vice versa. (Just think about all of those fast food commercials we watch every night!) These studies demonstrate the infectious nature of self-control.

Interestingly, successful entrepreneurs have a saying that states "we are the sum of the 5 people we surround ourselves with." In other words, it's important for people who struggle with self-control to surround themselves with people who will set a positive example. If we surround ourselves with friends that overeat and don't workout then we will have a tendency to overeat and not workout. So, grab a healthy friend or be a healthy friend and eat intentionally!