table for one? Study shows women who eat lunch consume more calories than those who eat alone

Ladies who eat lunch, beware – eating out with friends can cause you to burn significantly more calories than eating alone.

According to one study, women eat an average of 150 extra calories per meal when they eat out with friends. In a laboratory experiment, 26 women spent three days eating each meal with a friend, and three ate alone. They ate an average of 540 extra calories over the three days they had company.

A second experiment involving 63 women found that those who overeat socially did not eat less later, putting the average woman at risk of gaining 4 kg (8.8 pounds) a year if she eat at least one meal a day with others.

People can overeat because friendly conversation distracts them. But experts also believe that we evolved to eat more in groups because it was the only way to ensure we had a fair share of our hunter-gatherer time.

Professor Suzanne Higgs of the University of Birmingham, author of the study published in the journal Appetite, said she would “expect the same effect in both sexes”.

She said: “People need to be aware that social meals, even a quick lunch with friends, are likely to be associated with eating more.

“Although this study only looked at women, we expect the same effect in both sexes.

“The advice from this study is not to stop eating with friends or to eat alone at every meal, but to perhaps plan ahead and order a healthier option off the menu so it’s less of a worry if you eat a lot.”

“If you’re inviting friends over for dinner, it might be a good strategy to give yourself a fixed portion so you can’t help yourself without thinking.

“Alternatively, people can offset the extra calories they get from eating out with friends by eating smaller meals before or after.”