Holiday gatherings may prompt you to overeat, especially if you're a man. A study from Cornell Food and Brand Lab found that men tend to overeat in social situations, including BBQs and other situations, and it's an exhibition of manliness.

"Even if men aren't thinking about it, eating more than a friend tends to be understood as a demonstration of virility and strength," explains study co-author Kevin Kniffin, Ph.D.

In the study, college-aged students participated in either a competitive chicken wing eating challenge with cheering spectators, or a competitive chicken wing eating challenge with no spectators.

Although the prize for eating the most was only a worthless plastic medal, competitors still ate about four times more food than normal.

Men who ate in front of spectators downed 30 percent more than those without spectators. They described the experience as challenging, cool and exhilarating.

On the other hand, Women ate less with spectators than without them, and described the experience as slightly embarrassing.

"Focus on your friends and not the food," says lead author, Brian Wansink, Ph.D. "If you want to prove how macho you are, challenge your friend to a healthy arm wrestle instead of trying to out-eat him."

The study was published in Frontiers in Nutrition.

Arm wrestling might not be appropriate at holiday gatherings, so try these tips to avoid overeating:

• If you're seated at a table, concentrate more on the conversation instead of the food.
• If you're at a buffet, limit yourself to no more than one trip back — and that will be to choose a desert and to get a cup of coffee.
• If you have a choice between sitting or standing, choose standing — as far away from the buffet as possible.
• Alternate beverages between alcoholic drinks and water.
• Take your time to eat. It takes 20 minutes for your body to register "full."