Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Intermittent Binge-Intake Model in Mice
Published on: January 10, 2025
Eating in larger groups increases food consumption
Julie C Lumeng1, Katherine H Hillman
1Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. jlumeng@umich.edu
Insights
Children eat more food in larger groups. Preschoolers consumed 30% more during longer snacks in groups of nine versus three, indicating social facilitation of eating behavior.
Area of Science:
- Child psychology
- Nutritional science
- Behavioral science
Background:
- Understanding factors influencing children's food consumption is crucial for addressing eating behaviors.
- Social dynamics can significantly impact appetite and intake in young children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of peer group size on food intake in preschool-aged children.
- To determine if social facilitation of eating occurs in children and how it relates to group size.
Main Methods:
- A crossover study was conducted with 54 children aged 2.5-6.5 years at a university-based preschool.
- Each child participated in two conditions: eating a standardized snack in a group of three and in a group of nine.
- Individual food consumption (in grams) and snack duration were measured.
Main Results:
- A significant interaction was found between group size and snack duration (p=0.02).
- During longer snacks, children consumed 30% more food in larger groups (nine children) compared to smaller groups (three children) (34.5g vs 26.5g, p=0.02).
- This effect was associated with shorter eating latency, faster eating rates, and reduced social interaction in larger groups.
Conclusions:
- Children's food consumption is influenced by the size of their eating group, particularly during longer snack periods.
- Social facilitation of food intake is evident in preschool-aged children.
- Findings suggest group size is a factor to consider in interventions aimed at modifying children's eating behaviors.
Objective:
To determine whether children's food consumption is increased by the size of the group of children in which they are eating.
Design:
Crossover study.
Setting:
University based preschool.
Participants:
54 children, aged 2.5-6.5 years.
Interventions:
Each child ate a standardised snack in a group of three children, and in a group of nine children.
Main Outcome Measures:
Amount each individual child consumed, in grams.
Results:
Amount eaten and snack duration were correlated (r = 0.71). The association between group size and amount eaten differed in the short (<11.4 min) versus the long (> or =11.4 min) snacks (p = 0.02 for the interaction between group size and snack duration). During short snacks, there was no effect of group size on amount eaten (16.7 (SD 11) g eaten in small groups vs 15.1 (6.6) g eaten in large groups, p = 0.42). During long snacks, large group size increased the amount eaten (34.5 (16) vs 26.5 (13.8), p = 0.02). The group size effect was partially explained by a shorter latency to begin eating, a faster eating rate and reduced social interaction in larger groups.
Conclusions:
Children consumed 30% more food when eating in a group of nine children than when eating in a group of three children during longer snacks. Social facilitation of food consumption operates in preschool-aged children. The group size effect merits consideration in creating eating behaviour interventions.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Binge Eating Disorders
01:30Regulation of Food Intake
01:37Social Loafing
00:48Optimal Foraging
00:57Population Growth
00:52Social Proof