Obese Diners Choose Convenience And Overeating At Chinese Buffets

When dining at Chinese Buffets, overweight individuals serve themselves and eat differently than normal weight individuals.

This may lead them to overeat, according to a recent study by Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab.

Compared to normal weight diners, overweight individuals sat 16 feet closer to the buffet, faced the food, used larger plates, ate with forks instead of chopsticks, and served themselves immediately instead of browsing the buffet.

“What’s crazy is that these people are generally unaware of what they’re doing - they’re unaware of sitting closer, facing the food, chewing less, and so on,” say Brian Wanink, lead author of this study.

The study was published in the journal Obesity and includes observations of 213 diners at 11 all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant buffets across the country.

Study participants included a range of normal weight to obese diners, none of whom were Asian. Major study findings include:

- 27% of normal-weight patrons faced the buffet compared to 42% of obese diners.

- Overweight diners sat an average of 16 feet closer than normal-weight diners.

Read more at Medical News Today