The psychology of eating has been in the news recently with the publication of a study in the New England Journal of Medicine that found that a person's friends have a strong influence on their weight. Analysis of data from 12,000 people over a 32-year time span showed that the risk of a person becoming obese increased 57 percent if that person had a friend who became obese.

The effects of social eating on the food decisions a person makes are discussed in the book “Mindless Eating” by Dr. Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab. Wansink says that a person eating with one other person will eat 35 percent more and in a group of four people will eat 75 percent more.

His research shows that the group sets the standard for what to eat, how much to eat, how fast to eat and how long to stay at the table.

Social eating affects how and what people eat, which in turn affects weight. Who hasn't ordered dessert in a restaurant because friends at the table are doing the same? The point is not that you need to stop eating with other people. Instead you need to figure out some strategies to use so that when others are overeating, you are not following their lead. Wansink's recommendations include:

€ Be the last one to start eating

€ Sit next to a slow eater and follow their pace

€ Leave some food on your plate

€ Decide how much you need to eat before the meal. (Put the rest in a take-home box at the beginning of a restaurant meal)

€ In a restaurant, order appetizers as a main course or share an entree

€ Do not leave the bread basket or serving dishes within your reach

Restaurant eating with friends is an even greater challenge when the lighting, decor and music are designed to make you want to linger at the table and continue eating. Even the description of a food may make you want to eat more. Wansink found that stale chocolate cake labeled “Belgian Black Forest Double Chocolate Cake” was considered better tasting than the same cake labeled “chocolate cake!”

Wansink will discuss his fascinating research on eating behavior and will offer strategies for “mindlessly eating better” at the Fit Kids conference at the Holiday Inn in Auburn Sept. 21. This program is sponsored by Finger Lakes regional nutrition programs of Cornell Cooperative Extension. For further information about the conference, visit www.cce.cornell.edu/cayuga.

Visit the Auburn Farmers Market Thursday, Aug. 30, to sample the following recipe for Mu Shu Vegetables.

Christine Gutelius, MA, RD, CDN, is a nutrition resource educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County.

Mu Shu Vegetables

Makes 8 servings

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon ginger

3 teaspoons minced garlic

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 small cabbage (about 1 1/2 pounds),

very thinly sliced

1 cup sliced green peppers (optional)

3 medium carrots, coarsely grated

1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon corn starch

3/4 cup water

In a large skillet or wok, heat oil on high heat. Add garlic and stir fry for one minute. Add the onion, cabbage and carrots and stir fry for 2 minutes, lowering the heat if the vegetables stick or begin to brown. Add the peppers and carrots and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and stir fry for another minute. Stir the cornstarch and ground ginger in to the water. Add to the pan and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until liquid is thickened. Serve the vegetables in a warmed flour tortilla or over rice.