As we know, eating vegetables is good for us. Why do some people like them but others don't? A new study has found that other people's likes and dislikes could be a reason. According to the research, people who eat vegetables and show a clear dislike for them can influence others.
People may make facial expressions(面部表情)when eating. How does it affect a person watching them? A team of scientists in the UK did a study. They asked more than 200 young women to watch videos of other adults eating broccoli(西兰花). The people in the videos had different expressions while eating. They would smile, seem neutral(neither happy nor sad), or look disgusted.
The study found that when people in the videos look disgusted while eating broccoli, people watching them began to like broccoli less. The opposite was not true, however. When someone had a smile while eating broccoli, people watching them did not like broccoli more.
By watching others, humans learn which behaviors will be good for them. Scientists believe that people might avoid food that looks terrible. In this way, people can protect themselves from eating something bad or dangerous.
The research focused only on adults, but the team believe that the results could also work for children. This means, if children see their parents not enjoying certain foods, including vegetables, they might not want to eat them either.
How does the behavior of adults influence children's choices of food? The team said they hope to understand more about it. This could help find ways to encourage children to eat more healthy foods.