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You might even use your eating habits to communicate something about yourself. By reading the cues of others, you instinctively get a sense for which foods are safe to eat. Another reason is deeply coded into the brain’s fight for survival. Sometimes, the best way to fit in is to act like the people around you. Why is it so common to be influenced by others? One reason is related to wanting to “fit in.” It’s normal to adjust your behavior (even if you’re not aware of it) because you want to be liked or accepted, or you want to avoid judgement. Your social group-whether family, friends, or a larger entity such as the military or the country you live in-often determines your eating decisions, such as portion size and food choice.
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For example, children model the eating behaviors of the adults in their lives, and teens tend to model the eating behaviors of their friends. The people around you can have a powerful impact on the way you eat. Your diet can be vulnerable to social influences even if you don’t always realize it.
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Whether it’s your nightly family meal, a holiday party, or grabbing a bite on base, eating is a social activity. Whether it’s a gathering of your extended family one day or an office party the next, you might find yourself eating with many different people who have many different eating habits. It can be particularly hard to keep up your nutrition routines where there are larger quantities of food, more varieties to try, and longer stretches of time devoted to eating than usual. Special celebrations, holiday parties, and even casual get-togethers centered around eating can make it tough to stay on track when the people around you aren’t on the same path. When those around you make good (or not-so-good) food choices, you’re likely to do the same. Healthy-and unhealthy-eating habits are contagious.