Is obesity contagious? This article says YES!
| Member Comments (9)
Added Oct 15, 2009
This article on CNN.com says that "If a mutual friend becomes obese, it nearly triples a person's risk of becoming obese," It goes on to say "Obesity seems to spread in networks because of behavioral imitation -- you copy what people close to you are doing -- and shared expectations called "norms," the authors said. When you see people close to you gaining weight, that makes you readjust your own idea of what is an acceptable body size.:
I guess the question is, are your friends like you? Are they into the same health regimes, same body weight and concerns?
www.cnn.com/2009/TEC...
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By Julie Elaine Brown, M.A., Oct 15, 2009
This is a great article and it is obvious that who you surround yourself with is going to influence your diet choices, as well as your extra curricula activites. If you are friends with an athlete or someone very into optimizing their athletic performance, there is a good chance they aren't going to want to eat a ton of pizza, and hang out smoking at a bar with you. To that end, you can be influenced not simply by their motivation, but because of what you do together.
As someone who has smoked before, it is incredibly hard for me to be near people who are smoking, It is also hard for me to be at a bar because I associate smoking and drinking. Taking myself out of that mix,I find myself hanging around with people who are more into working out, yoga, outdoor sports and other activities. So by changing my friend group...I actually immediately influenced my health in a positive way.
As far as obesity or bodyfat percentage and determining your norms--it is true that if you grow up in an area where the majority of people are overweight, you may have a tendency to think that is normal and healthy and not think too much about it.
Then you go to Manhattan or Paris or San Francisco for the day and see a majority of people with a normal and healthy bodyweight, lots of athletes, or just people who walk all the time, and your perception of what is normal and all around you changes. When I first moved to Manhattan, and was surrounded by models or people in the fashion industry, I immediately went on a diet, just out of the body awareness and realizing the standards were a bit different than San Francisco.
By Christina Angelacos, Oct 15, 2009
I hail from Michigan, the land perpetually cold, rainy, and gray.
In my cozy little hometown our main source of entertainment was dining out at chain restaurants (hello 2200 calorie Outback Steak House Bloomin' Onion!) Needless to say I was ten pounds heavier when I left Michigan for Manhattan. I attribute my weight loss partially to lifestyle changes, (walking everywhere, joining a gym, healthier and more diverse restaurant options) but more than this, I've simply become a product of my environment. Folks here in New York City seem more slim or athletic comparatively speaking. Over time, I've adapted to fit in with my surroundings. However I will admit when I do return to Michigan I'll re-visit The Outback for old times sake, but instead of ordering the Aussie Cheese Fries, I'll opt for the Seared Ahi Tuna--and finish half.
By Keith P, Oct 16, 2009
Wired Magazine also had a great article on this subject last month (sorry, can't find it online). The great news is that there are many things that are contagious from your social network besides obesity. Happiness for one. There's not much we can do about family being part of our social network (so hopefully your family is a positive influence) but we can certainly choose our friends. The moral? Surround yourself with people who have a positive outlook on life, and you're bound to catch something good.
By Megan Woolever, Oct 16, 2009
I have very mixed feelings about this article and subject. Although I wholeheartedly agree that the average American diet of fast food and non-organic, highly processed foods is a huge problem both for our bodies and our environment, equating poor eating habits with being overweight is a bit overly simplistic.
Case in point, I have always been on the plump side and no matter what diet I have tried, and no matter how thin my friends were around me, I was always "fatter" than they were. I dieted and dieted and dieted for most of my life, in fact I went on my first diet when I was 11. But regardless of how much weight I lost, or who I was hanging out with, I eventually gained the weight back. A very typical story.
The hardest part was being a teenage girl with three best girl friends who were all 4 inches taller than I am and about 10-15 pounds thinner. I kept thinking if I just dieted or exercised enough I would have those long lean thighs like they did. The thing that really killed me was that while I was eating green salads with fat free dressing, they were downing cheetos, burgers and fries.
But the fact of the matter is that I have a different body type and different genes than they do. They were shaped like Bananas, long and lean. I am Pear shaped, curvy and shorter. I carry most of my weight in my hips and thighs. No amount of dieting or exercise is going to fundamentally change that.
One of the things that this article doesn't really address is the predominant genetic profile inherent in many of these geographic areas. For example, living in a major metropolitan city people tend to be more diverse ethnically and therefore genetically. You have greater diversity in size, in part, because you have greater diversity in the gene pool.
Whereas in many Mid-West towns, traditionally, the ethnicity has been from what could be considered a larger stock of people, think of the ancestors of strapping Germanic lasses and lads. Add to that the fact that people live longer, are taller, and as a result bigger because of improved health and lifespan than we were even 100 years ago, and I think that to say "hang out with fat people and you get fat" is an over-simplification at best.
One of the things I notice and value about my friendships are the diversity in size and shape. I don't necessarily look like everyone else around me, and that's ok. I eat right, get exercise, accept my differences and above all love my body.
By Vanessa Denham, Nov 08, 2009
The sad thing about this article is the great potential for this type of information to add to the already overwhelming emotional burden that many obese people live with everyday. Many times they are teased and ridiculed and now "normal" people will not even want to hang out with them because they might "catch" their obesity.
How sad!!
I have friends in all weight categories and I love them all for who they are. I also have to say that many of my obese friends lead a healthier lifestyle and have better eating habits than my "normal" weight and under-weight friends.
Live with passion and purpose,
Vanessa
By Lalyn M, Nov 09, 2009
I agree with this article and also with the article about contagious happiness. The thing is our environment and the people whom we share our life with most of the day; spouse, kids, siblings, close friends and pets influences our perspective and approach on particular decisions. Some of this are; food to eat, products to buy and even clothes to put on. I'm glad this articles shed the light on the collective consciousness and unconsciousness that we get in and out of during the day. This can be an inspiring article, meaning if you are unhappy, try to reach out with your "happier" friends and if you are gaining weights try to seek advice from your fitter siblings or friends. I think the article is also a great tool for reaching out to parents who worries about their kids getting obese. Hopefully this will inspire them to set a healthy example.