Could open floor plans lead to overeating?

Some researchers say open-concept living areas might lead to overeating.

That could be because the open spaces create easy access to the kitchen.

The findings come from a study of students who ate in two dining sessions at Cornell’s Food and Brand Lab. Two researchers, one from the University of Notre Dame and one from Cornell University, observed eating behaviors from 47 college students.

They found in closed-kitchen setups, students could still walk through the kitchen area, but they could not view the kitchen and food from the dining table.

Students in the open floor plan got up more often to get more food – about 10 percent more than the closed-concept eaters.

That equated to an average of 170 calories more.

The researchers suggested future studies might explore the effect of floor plans on residential kitchens, college dorms, school cafeterias, workplaces and buffet-style restaurants.

The study was published in a journal called Environment and Behavior and was summarized by MedlinePlus, a product within the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

This story was originally published September 26, 2016 at 7:26 AM with the headline "Could open floor plans lead to overeating?."