Modern men overeat like cavemen to show off to women

New York

MAYBE it is due to our evolution from the era of cavemen when the strongest and fastest hunters would have the biggest bounty to eat. Or maybe it is just another example of the male perception of what women like gone awry. Cornell University researchers have found that men tend to eat significantly more - nearly double - when in the presence of the fairer sex and that this excess may be "motivated by a hardwired male urge to demonstrate prowess".

The study, published this month in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science, involved observing diners at an all-you-can eat Italian buffet. Men who were dining with at least one woman consumed 93 per cent more pizza (the equivalent of 1.44 more slices) and 86 per cent more salad than those who were exclusively in the company of other men.