Diners order significantly more food and drink when served by an overweight waiter or waitress, according to a recently published study.

最近发布的一项研究称，如果服务员体重超标，食客会多点很多食物和饮料。

Diners can be influenced by their surroundings in general and furthermore by their social interactions in particular. The study was published online December 28 in the scientific journal Environment & Behavior.

食客们通常会受周边环境影响，尤其会进一步受到其社交的影响。这项研究发布在12月28日的科学期刊《环境与行为》上。

A team of research assistants visited 60 restaurants, where they observed a total of 497 interactions between diners and servers. They recorded the estimated body characteristics of both the diners and the servers. They also recorded how much food and drink was ordered.

研究助理一行人走访了60家餐馆，观察了497组食客与服务员之间的互动，预估了服务员和食客们的体态特征并作了记录。此外，还记录了点了多少食物和饮料。

A statistical¹ analysis of this data found that a server’s body mass index (BMI) — a simple measure of body fat based on height and weight — influenced how much their customers ordered and ate. The higher a server’s BMI, the more meals the diners ordered, regardless of their own body type.

统计分析数据发现，服务员的BMI身体质量指数（即根据身高和体重简单测量体脂的方法）会影响顾客点餐与进食的量。无论食客本身体型怎样，服务员BMI指数越高，食客点餐就越多。

Diners were four times more likely to order dessert and ordered 17.65 percent more alcoholic² drinks when their server had a BMI that was over 25. A BMI greater than 25 is considered overweight by most health experts.

如果服务员BMI指数超过25，食客点甜品的概率要高出四倍之多，要多点17.65%的酒精饮料。多数健康专家视BMI指数超过25为超重。

Some restaurants, such as the chain Hooters, have faced lawsuits³ for discriminating⁴ against overweight employees. This research suggests forcing waiters and waitresses to be slim is bad for business. If anything, heavy wait staff might increase sales.

有些餐馆，如猫头鹰连锁餐厅，因歧视肥胖员工已面临诉讼。此项研究称，强迫服务生保持苗条身材不利于生意经营。总之，肥胖的员工或有可能拉动消费。