Lunch break is arguably the most awaited time of the day in any organization. In most of these companies, friendly co-workers take the break together to share meals or have lunch as they talk. While this is good for their social skills, researchers from Massachusetts say more effects than meet the eye.
Influence in meal purchases
Lead researcher Dr. Douglas Levy says that people tend to copy the food choices made by their co-workers if they take the meals together. This means that you are often not having what you are craving for lunch but what your co-worker is having.
The researchers observed the eating habits of more than 6000 Massachusetts General Hospital workers. The workers held different positions in the hospital, came from different social and financial backgrounds but were all linked together by the lunch break they shared in the hospital’s cafeteria.
Thanks to the hospital’s meal labeling system, the scientists had an easy time identifying healthy and unhealthy foods. Healthy food and drinks are labeled with a Green tag; less healthy ones are in Yellow while unhealthy ones are in Red. It was also easy to know who bought the food and when the workers could purchase food in the cafeteria using their ID cards. With his data, the researchers could predict the workers’ social interactions.
Dr. Levy explains that if two people purchase a meal less than two minutes from each other, there’s a good chance that they know each other. However, the researchers also surveyed 1000 of the workers in their social circles at work. The participants either confirmed or corrected the list of lunch buddies the researchers had made from the list of meal purchases.
Co-workers can influence healthy choices.
Lunch break is arguably the most awaited time of the day in any organization. In most of these companies, friendly co-workers take the break together to share meals or have lunch as they talk. While this is good for their social skills, researchers from Massachusetts say more effects than meet the eye.
Influence in meal purchases
Lead researcher Dr. Douglas Levy says that people tend to copy the food choices made by their co-workers if they take the meals together. This means that you are often not having what you are craving for lunch but what your co-worker is having.
The researchers observed the eating habits of more than 6000 Massachusetts General Hospital workers. The workers held different positions in the hospital, came from different social and financial backgrounds but were all linked together by the lunch break they shared in the hospital’s cafeteria.
Thanks to the hospital’s meal labeling system, the scientists had an easy time identifying healthy and unhealthy foods. Healthy food and drinks are labeled with a Green tag; less healthy ones are in Yellow while unhealthy ones are in Red. It was also easy to know who bought the food and when the workers could purchase food in the cafeteria using their ID cards. With his data, the researchers could predict the workers’ social interactions.
Dr. Levy explains that if two people purchase a meal less than two minutes from each other, there’s a good chance that they know each other. However, the researchers also surveyed 1000 of the workers in their social circles at work. The participants either confirmed or corrected the list of lunch buddies the researchers had made from the list of meal purchases.
Co-workers can influence healthy choices.
Finally, the researchers had collected data amounting to 3,000,000 lunch encounters. The results of the data revealed that meal purchases that had less time between them were mainly similar. Interestingly, the study also revealed that similar foods were mostly healthy.
