On Eating Habits

Recently I’ve been working on a survey for a continuation of this study. My colleagues and I are interested in how we can infer a person’s habit in delaying instant gratification. I came up with this idea that since some people would eat their best meal last, wouldn’t it reflect their behavior in saving the best for last?

This naive idea was soon dropped out of the survey as in a quick survey with family and friends, it became apparent that eating habit did not really reflect anything about delaying instant gratification. But there are more interesting findings.

My sister and I both would save the best bite for last. My brother also has this tendency, but his pattern is more carefully planned. In eating a plate of various foods, he would sample all, eat the least tasteful, then the better one, back to the least tasteful before diving into his last very tasteful bite.

My friend Fendelina would eat the best bite first until she is satisfied, and then move on to the least tasteful. When she’s full, she would stop eating. Ferdinand would eat according to his mood. Sometimes it’s saving the best for last meal, other times it’s the reverse, and still others he would eat based on the visual appeal of the foods on his plate. He also mentions that he always plan how he would eat his meal, which is strange considering he is probably the most laissez-faire person I know.

Kayee would eat her meal according to the practicality of eating. She usually starts with food she can eat using only a fork, then a fork and a spoon, and last the one she needs to dig her fingers into.

What is your eating habit? What do you think it entails?