Obesity can spread from
pals ! If your friends and family get fat , chances are you too will too, researches report in a new study that suggests
obesity is “socially contagious” and can spread easily from person to person.
The study found that to be true even if your loved ones live away , Social ties seem to play a surprisingly strong role , even more than genes are known to do .
We are stunned to find that friends who are hundreds of miles away have just as much impact on a person’s weight status as friends who are right next door,” said co-author James Fowler of the University of California, San Diego.
The study found a person’s chances of becoming obese went up 57% if a friend did,40% if a sibling did and 37%if a spouse did. In the closest friendships, the risk almost tripled. On average ,the
researchers calculated, when an obese person gained 7.7kg, the corresponding friend puts on an extra 2.3kg. Gender also had a strong influence. In same sex friendship , a person’s obesity risk increased by 71% if a friend gained weight. Between brothers, the risk was up by 44% and 67% between sisters.
Researchers think it is more than just people with similar eating and exercise habits hanging out together. Instead, it may be that having relatives and friends who become obese change one’s idea of what is an acceptable weight. But, the researchers said, people should not sever their relationship. “There is a ton of research that suggest that having more friends makes you healthier.” Fowler said , “So the last thing that you want to do is get rid of any of your friends.” The study was published in New England Journal of Medicine.
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