Why do other people eat so little?

Question

Dining out with others, I'm constantly amazed at how little they eat. Their plate of food arrives at the table, some pick a little at it, have a forkful or two then act like they're going to explode. I've even seen some just stare at it a few minutes, then push it away like it was a plate of cockroaches. I dive right in it, lick the plate clean, then order dessert (like my parents taught me). My dining companions just sigh and look at me like I'm a freak. So why is food regarded as "poison" and why bother ordering if you're not going to eat it. It really bothers me to see wasted food.

Answer 1

I sometimes chow down and love it. I can eat a medium Pizza Hut pizza in 1 sitting and I'm 5'4" and 100lbs. Sometimes if food is gross I take one bite and quit and sometimes I'm just not that hungry. I go out to eat to socialize. Your not a freak. You have a healthy app.

Next time make sure they order something you like and just get a salad and eat their left overs!

Answer 2

Too many people caring what others think instead of filling their tummies. I was always taught to eat before I went out so people wouldn't think me a pig, like on Gone with the Wind , the ladies all ate HUGE meals then picked at the food on their plates and the men were just swooning over the delicate little ladies, when I get to the restaurant, I just order a half order so I don't waste any food. And I do order desert!

Answer 3

I guess it's a case of eyes being bigger than their stomaches? I used to eat a lot but recently I have lost my appetite. I have no reason to my knowledge of why that is. Wasted food bothers me also but it's not all wasted. Animals will end up feeding on the waste keeping the circle of life a circle. Also, maybe they are not 'public' eaters. They may be self-concious about their weight or appearance when they eat. We all know how strange people can be, so I'm guessin' food is not an exception.

Answer 4

Actually, there are lots of reasons, like:
They talk so much they don't have time to eat as much while you, the listener, have plenty of time to chew;
They have much slower metabolisms than you and can't afford to "lick the plate" if they want to button their trousers;
They are shy about eating in front of non-family members because they are unsure of their table manners or afraid of dropping food or drink on themselves;
They were taught that it is polite to leave food on their plates to show they were served more than enough and were "sated" with good food (common in some cultures)...

Answer 5

Here in the US, the restaurant portions are huge. Nine times out of ten, I can't finish them - frankly, my tummy's just not that big. I don't put that much on my plate at home. But I don't let restaurant food go to waste either, I usually get a to-go box for leftovers.

Answer 6

I hate those people, going out to eat for me is about eating good food, drinking a good bottle (or 2) of wine and enjoying good company. those people who order and waste their meals annoy the heck out of me. I was taught to eat everything on your plate. however some places make their portions so huge that you cant help but take a doggy bag home with you.

Answer 7

Great question, and lots of great answers so far. We are a nation with food issues. As you said, you were trained to clean your plate. In other cultures, you should belch at the table. In other situations, you should eat in a way that is practically not even noticeable, tiny bites slipped in unobtrusively, and most of the attention on sparkling wit and repartee. We all eat differently for different reasons, and as a nation we have huge food issues. Almost no one works hard enough to justify eating restaurant portions in our country, but restaurant eating is outpacing meals at home almost as fast as obesity is growing.

Also, truth to tell, most of our food HAS poison in it or on it. Did you know that the company that provided fertilizer for the farmers that supplied 80% of McDonald's fries made their fertilizer using industrial wastes containing lead and other dangerous heavy metals and pesticides? And that the people in those communities began to get cancer and other chronic diseases a disproportionate rate to the rest of the population? Did you know that most of our food is genetically modified and has been irradiated? Did you know that MSG (an additive with at least 20-30 different names) is a neurotoxin that actually makes you hungry, and is in just about every restaurant food you can imagine, and in nearly every canned and boxed food in the local stores? And did you know that there is proof that the food manufacturers KNOW this and are putting it in their products so we will get hooked on their foods and eat them whether our bodies need them or not? Did you know that the pesticides that have been outlawed here were marketed to other countries that supply our grocery stores with produce that has been sprayed with those same poisons? Did you know that the USDA compromised organic standards so that more toxins could find their way into our "USDA Organic" foods? I could go on and on about this.

On a lighter note, maybe you'll like this story. An overweight woman who struggled to lose weight decided that she would study how thin people ate, to find out their secret. Basically, the people she studied were very in tune with their feelings of being full. They just stopped eating when they were no longer hungry. They weren't depriving themselves, they just didn't feel hungry, and weren't bound by their inappropriate desires to keep shovelling flavors down their gullets. Another thing she noticed is that these thin people had definite opinions about the "best part" of foods. If the best part is the crust, they eat the crust. If the best part is the center, they eat just the center. Anyway, she decided to try eating that way, and ended up losing her excess weight easily.

I think the Beano commercial about the three women whose bellies look like they are about to explode while they are sitting in the movie theater is pretty telling, too. When people run low on digestive enzymes, they bloat up and feel uncomfortable with even small amounts of foods, and literally have no more room for putting any more food in. They are probably hoping and praying that they won't embarrass themselves with involuntary gas emissions from one end or another! (Beano contains enzymes that help digest beans and similar foods).

As to why people order food they don't plan to eat, I suspect it is from simple social conditioning. Going to restaurants is a big part of our social culture. You either go where the gang is, or you end up alone a heck of a lot more often. And if you are in a restaurant, taking up space, it is only fair to the restaurant to order something.

In the end, it is better for food to be wasted than waisted, at least in our country, for most people. And realistically, no poor person is likely to be eating the leftovers of most restaurants.

Answer 8

Sorry, but the portions they serve in the States are so huge they could feed a family of four. I guess they feel people won't pay the price if they aren't served a mountain of food. And they wonder why we have an obesity problem. I eat very little and I don't eat left overs so this is particularly annoying to me.

Answer 9

I don't eat much. There are times I just order something and split it with my daughter. I dislike wasting food, so I try to order appetizers. That is all I need. I get tickled when my dining companions start sharing their food with me. I guess they want me to be quiet. : )

Answer 10

It's considered good manners in some countries. When I'm out with my friends, I really don't care about manners.

Ooooh look my elbows are on top of the table!.

But some people take it offensive when you shovel down everything, no matter how good the food is.