Proving Your self With Food

When your manhood is challenged, you might be more likely to order a double-decker burger. The reason? People use food to “prove themselves” when their identities are challenged, according to research at the University of Washington.

Researchers found that American-born Asian students who had their American identity threatened ordered and ate more American foods than those who didn’t—and ultimately, they consumed 180 calories more than the nonthreatened group.

This could explain the dietary decline of many immigrant populations, who often gain weight after arriving to America. “Though they’re not larger than the average American, immigrants approach the same rates of obesity after 15 years in the U.S,” says Cheryan. And their children—who were surveyed in the study—tend to have obesity rates similar to overall U.S. rates. But it’s not the mere fact that they’re adopting an American diet, it’s that they’re adopting it to feel more American.

But this extends beyond nationality, researchers explain.

“Your food choices show others what kind of person you are or what kind of person you want to be,” says Sapna Cheryan, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Washington, and author of the study. “So, when part of your identity is challenged, you eat in a certain way to prove yourself.”

For example, if your masculinity is compromised, you may feel the need to eat something stereotypically masculine, like a steak, says Cheryan. And if you want to impress your date, you probably won’t order a pink cupcake and cosmopolitan.

But how does this affect your weight loss efforts? “If we’re conscious of what others think of our food choices, dieters can benefit from being around healthy people,” says Cheryan. “They’d be less likely to make unhealthy choices in front of them.”

This doesn’t mean you can’t be friends with an overweight McDonald’s lover. (Although, looking at an overweight person may make you want to eat something unhealthy.) Just know that your food choices aren’t purely about nutrition, sometimes they’re about proving yourself.

Try Losing Weight as a Family and Telling a Friend About Your Goals, which make you more accountable to others.

Stay Healthy