Friends and Family Making You Fat?

A persons chance of becoming obese increased 57% if a close friend became obese.

Among siblings, if one became obese, the chance for the other to become obese increased by 40%

If a spouse became obese, the chances for the other spouse increased by 37%

Study findings in The New England Journal of Medicine, The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network over 32 years.

So.....I guess you can blame some of your weight on family and friends.  I'm not making this up.  And WOW!!! The study included 12,000 people and data was collected over 32 years (1971-2003) by sociologist researchers from Harvard University and U Cal San Diego.  That's a large study population and time always tells the truth especially when following people for that long.

One of the first things that I address in my 12 week weight loss program is social networks.  As you see the stats can be stacked against you like a 'triple steakburger with fries' if you don't control how you eat around others.  Ever visited with people and not felt hungry until everyone else started eating?  The answer is Yes!  Why? Because we are influenced by our circle of family and friends.  No doubt about it.

~DrSonja