The bigger your dinner date, the bigger your appetite Ever head out to dinner with great intentions only to end up home, 3,000 calories later wondering what went wrong? Well, a new study (at the illustrious Cornell University, no less) has pinpointed one reason people tend to overeat at restaurants. The study noted that some elements of restaurant dining rooms actually prime you to eat more food. But chief among those factors? The weight of those dining with or near you. Researchers found that the body type of your dining partner, or of those dining nearby, may actually influence how much you order and how much you eat. Even though part of me wants to blast a study like this as obvious, the methodology of it honestly fascinates me. The researchers recruited 82 undergraduate college students to eat a lunch of spaghetti and salad. They also hired an actress to wear a 50-pound prosthesis, which made her appear overweight. Each of the students was randomly placed in one of four scenarios featuring the actress: the actress served herself healthfully (more salad and less pasta) while wearing the fat suit she served herself the same healthy meal without the suit she served herself less healthfully (more pasta and less salad) while wearing the fat suit she served herself the same less healthy meal without the suit Participants in each scenario viewed the actress serving herself and then served themselves pasta and salad. The results were fascinating: Researchers found that when the actress wore the fat suit, the participants served themselves--and ate--31.6 percent more pasta.Regardless of what the actress served herself. In fact, when she wore the fat suit and served herself more salad, the participants actually served and ate 43.5 percent less salad. In other words, what she ate meant zilch. Her weight, however, meant everything. Here's what's so sad about this study: With 70 percent of Americans obese or overweight, seeing overweight people in a restaurant is an exceptionally likely scenario. This could partially explain why some people who follow my New Hamptons Health Miracle to a "T" at home have a harder time doing it at restaurants. Plus the fact that you don't always get to choose where you're eating and almost always get portions twice the size of your head. It's hard to stay on track. I get that. But it's up to you to break the cycle. If it's an unhealthy restaurant, skip it. If you're not sure, stick with the staples: lots of fish, lean meats, tons of veggies, and avoid the sugary glazes and sauces. And, I know this sounds odd, but never go to a restaurant when you're extremely hungry (unless that restaurant serves nothing but salmon and avocado). It's the same as going to a grocery store on an empty stomach: You're bound to make unhealthy choices in regards to both what you eat and how much. Simple solution: eat some nuts before you go. They'll provide you with plenty of energy and lots of good fats, to keep you from feeling famished--and subsequently ordering the most tantalizing (and least healthy) item you see on the menu. I'm especially big on walnuts, almonds and macadamia nuts, but you can also go with Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts and pistachios. As long as you don't overdo it--20 nuts max--when eaten just before meals, nuts can help you skip that second helping ... or say "no" when the waiter asks the $64,000 question: "Would you like to see our dessert list?" Until next time, Dr. Fred Sources: "Muscle p70S6K phosphorylation in response to soy and dairy rich meals in middle aged men with metabolic syndrome: a randomized crossover trial. Nutrition & Metabolism. 2014; 11: 46. "In good company. The effect of an eating companion's appearance on food intake." Appetite, 2014; 83: 263 "The larger your friends the larger your appetite, study shows." ScienceDaily, 10/2/14 (www.sciencedaily.com/relea