When it comes to ill-advised first date foods, garlic-laden dishes, messy racks of ribs, and saucy, slurpy noodles typically come to mind. But French fries, the golden slices of fried starch that so effectively soak up the one-too-many beers consumed on awkward Tinder dates? Never.
However, in a new study published in the journal of Food Quality and Preference, researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark have found that both men and women tend to exhibit some odd food behaviours when in the presence of someone they’re attracted to.
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The researchers claim that women are more likely to shun greasy, fatty, and generally delicious foods—like fries—in favor of healthier dishes, a behavior that has likely evolved in response to the perception that men prioritise beauty and health in a female partner.
Men, on the other hand, don’t give a second thought to ordering indulgent dishes, but are more inclined to order more expensive drinks and menu items in an effort to appear successful.
Despite this all sounding like some patriarchal bullshit, study author Tobias Otterbring insists there’s solid scientific data behind these behavioural findings. “The mere presence of others and their physical appearance can influence people’s meal choices and food intake,” Otterbring writes of his findings. The results, which were based on a series of five experiments, “revealed that prior exposure to attractive men decreased women’s willingness to spend money on unhealthy foods, and increased their inclination to spend money on healthy foods.”
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