Back in the day, women ordered the most expensive dish on the menu to see if their fella could afford it and would indulge them ... unless they were cautiously watching their figure. Then they pecked at the most expensive salad on the menu.

Well, a group of researchers from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and the University of Akron found that college students eat in distinctly different ways depending on the company they keep.

“What we found was that on average, when men were eating with women, they tended to purchase more calories than their counterparts who were eating with other men. Women tended to purchase fewer calories when with men as compared to when they're with women,” said Marci Cottingham, a co-author of the study and a graduate student at the University of Akron.

The belief is that women are more comfortable around other women but believe men judge them based on what they eat. Once upon a time, that might have been true, but is it still?

Says Alex McIntosh, a sociology professor at Texas A&M University, who has done extensive research in eating behaviors: “I've had undergrads talk to me about eating on dates and in particular on the first day, if you're a female, some students reported even when given the opportunity to eat, they don't, and if they do, they eat far less than they ordinarily would because of the impression it makes.”

Ladies, if you're hungry, eat! Who cares what those fickle boys think?