Toronto, Aug 6 - Women count their calories when dining with men, but not so when eating with other women, says a new Canadian study.

Research at Canada's McMaster University at Hamilton near Toronto has found that a woman dining with a man will gobble fewer calories than if she dines with another woman.

Researcher Meredith Young says what a person chooses to eat at lunch or dinner is influenced by who they eat with and the gender make-up of the group, a university statement said Wednesday.

Young said her study is based on students in three university cafeterias with a wide choice of food options and dining companions.

She found that a woman who ate with a man chose foods with lower calorific value than a woman who ate with another woman.

The researcher also found that when women ate in mixed-gender groups, they consumed foods with less calories. The more men in the group, the fewer the calories.

But when women ate in all-female groups, their food was significantly higher in calories, Young said.

'Eating is a social activity.