Adventurous eaters weigh less and may be healthier

Foodies, or adventurous eaters, who tend to experiment and try out a wide variety of foods are more likely to be healthier and weigh less than their less-adventurous counterparts, a new study has found.
Researchers from Cornell Food and Brand Lab surveyed 502 women in US and found that those who had eaten the widest variety of uncommon foods - including seitan, Kimchi, rabbit, and polenta - rated themselves as healthier eaters, more physically active, and more concerned with the healthfulness of their food when compared with non-adventurous eaters.
"They also reported being much more likely to have friends over for dinner," said lead author Lara Latimer, formerly at the Cornell Food and Brand Lab and now at the University of Texas at Austin.

"These findings are important to dieters because they show that promoting adventurous eating may provide a way for people - especially women - to lose or maintain weight without feeling restricted by a strict diet," said co-author Brian Wansink, Professor and Director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University.
"Instead of sticking with the same boring salad, start by adding something new. It could kick start a more novel, fun and healthy life of food adventure," he said.
The study was published in the journal Obesity.