The Larger the Group of Kids, The More Graham Crackers Kids Eat

Certainly, we’ve all seen this in action — you get a group of kids together and they nosh away. The more kids, the more they eat.

Well, anecdotal evidence is now backed by new research, which shows that when you have larger groups of kids, they eat 30 percent more.

Thanks to the New York Times for the lead on this new study from scientists at the University of Michigan.

You gotta love one researcher’s quote: “In animals, you’re going to be a little more frenzied when you eat in a group,” said Dr. Julie C. Lumeng.

Well, lo and behold, as The Times pointed out, this also seems to be the case with preschoolers— the children in larger groups not only ate more but faster.

OK, so if iimpressionable young ones eat more when they’re in larger groups of kids, what might happen if they’re not offered graham crackers but instead can choose fruits and veggie for snacks. Even if they ate more, they’d still make better food choices.

Jennifer Moore contributed to this report.