Is Eating with an Ex Cheating?

Kate Sullivan,Allure magazine

Grabbing a cup of coffee with an ex or an after-work drink is a sign that the two of you can still enjoy each others' company. But don't order a scone or jalapeño poppers-because adding food to the mix may complicate things:A new study from Cornell University shows that eating with an ex triggers greater sexual jealousy from one's current partner.

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Researchers worked with couples in which one partner was contacted by an ex for either a meal or drink-related meet-up and found that regardless of gender, "meals elicit more jealousy than face-to-face interactions that do not involve eating-such as having coffee," said the study's co-author Kevin M. Kniffin. It's actually kind of funny that there's this reaction when you think about how unattractive eating itself is: Masticating food? Really? That's riskier than seductively blowing on a too-hot cup of tea?

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Researchers didn't delve into whether partners getting meals with their exes were more likely to cheat or have feelings for the ex, or whether they themselves felt like the act of eating together was more intimate than coffee and a chat. But what do you think: Is sharing a meal with an ex more significant than drinks?

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