Buffet Behavior by the Overweight

It seems that overweight people – those with a clearly elevated body mass index, or BMI – behave differently from normal-weight folk when visiting a Chinese buffet. This is according to a study made by Cornell University scientists, published in the journal Obesity.

The behavior of over 200 diners at 11 all-you-can-eat Chinese buffets across the USA was analyzed, in relation to their size. Trained observers recorded the height, weight, sex, and age of these patrons, and compared their behavior across BMI levels.

Overweight people sat, on average, 16 feet closer to the buffet, faced the food, selected larger plates, served themselves immediately rather than browsing the buffet first, and ate with forks rather than chopsticks. This behavior pattern was clearly linked to greater food intake. Those with lower BMIs left more food on their plates, and chewed more per bite of food.

I suppose this is an interesting finding, although the results might have been predicted by a hypercritical non-overweight person like me. My obvious question: Why did the researchers choose to evaluate Chinese food buffets? There are plenty of all-you-can-eat buffet-style restaurants serving good old American fare.

What’s the consequence of making this behavior pattern known? Maybe some overweight people will adapt their behavior a bit in such eateries. Better still, some will confine their dining-out to fixed-menu restaurants . . .