Study Claims Women Don’t Like to Eat Junk Food in Front of Attractive Men

A new study published in the journal Food Quality and Preference has found that men and woman change their eating habits around each other and women do that by opting out of junk food.

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Researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark found that after ladies were “exposed” to attractive males, they were more likely to forego greasy, fatty foods in favor of healthier dishes. After exposure to attractive females, men ordered whatever they wanted but were more inclined to order the more expensive drinks and menu items.

According to the researchers this goes back to the female perception that men prioritize beauty and health and the male perception that females prioritize success (hence ordering more expensive dishes, it means men have more money).

Here’s what the study author wrote:

“The mere presence of others and their physical appearance can influence people’s meal choices and food intake…. none of these effects occurred after exposure to attractive same-sex individuals, [proving that] mate attraction is the fundamental motive underlying these findings.”

Science is crap. The study abstract failed to mention a few things: did researchers only work with participants who identified as heterosexual? Were any participants in any kind of relationship (we assume not)? What happens when participants are in a relationship? Did participants identify themselves as the same culture or background? How old were these participants?

Here’s our non-scientific conclusion from this study: this study applies to this group of men and women near Aarhus University in Denmark and maybe more broadly to men and women who identify themselves in similar ways. We can’t imagine this to be true across cultures. Can you imagine spending an evening out and foregoing a torta / pastelito / empanada / tacos, etc.? We can’t.

We know we put an emphasis on shared experiences through food but that’s part of our fabric, our identity. We make memories, we share laughs, we show love. So Aarhus, should you ever expand that study, call us up. We’re in.