If you are a people-pleaser, a person who goes out of their way to make other people happy, you are at higher risk for overeating in social situations.  A new study conducted at Case Western University found that college students who identified themselves as people-pleasers were not only likely to overeat in social situations, but were also likely to regret their decision at a later time.

People-pleasers like to keep their social situations free from conflict.  "They don't want to rock the boat or upset the sense of social harmony," said Julie Exline in a release.  Exline, a Case Western Reserve psychologist and lead author of the study, explained that people pleasers are less likely to turn down food when it is offered to them, even if the food isn't healthy.

So if you are a people pleaser, are you doomed to gain weight?  Probably not.  You can't avoid social situations altogether, so if weight maintenance or weight loss is on your agenda, your best bet is to learn to manage environmental barriers, including social pressure.  You can also enlist the help of family and friends by talking to them and asking them to avoid serving you unhealthy foods at parties and get-togethers.

People-Pleasers are More Likely to Overeat originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 at 12:50:20.

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