Are Your Friends Making You Fat?
By: Bean Jones
A lot of people were surprised over the findings of the obesity study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2007. It alleged that being fat is a "socially contagious" disease.
The co-author of the study, Dr. Nicholas Christakis of the Harvard Medical School, explained that a person was 37 percent more likely to become obese if he or she had a fat spouse, 40 percent more likely to get hefty if he or she had overweight siblings, and 57 percent more likely to turn tubby if he or she had chubby friends. This is supposedly because we're likely to eat what our loved ones are eating--even if they're grabbing unhealthy grub.
But who's to say that you can't make your own decisions? Besides, it's not just your hefty friends who should be tagged as potential fitness dampers. Heck, you regular-sized friends could cause you to binge just as much.
Thus, I was happy to find out that I wasn't the only one who had some reservations about the study's findings. Dr. Neil Izenberg, founder and editor-in-chief of KidsHealth.org, said the findings might be taken the wrong way by a lot of people. He was worried that kids would resort to ostracizing peers with weight problems.
Izenberg pointed out: "The positive impact of this research might be that more people will see eating and activity patterns as being strongly influenced by friends and family. It could be negative though, if you limit your friends based on how they look."
According to Izenberg, you just have to:
1. Pay more attention to how you make your choices about what you consume.
2. Be more conscious of how active you are.
So, if you have a chubby friend, don't make him or her the scapegoat for your weaknesses. Instead, convince him or her to get fit with you. You could do Simpleology 103 together. Also, tell your pal that it's not his or her size that concerns you. It's his or her health that matters.
Comments
lol,at least its not all my fault for the 223 pounds.. cheers b
It's true that you become your environment. I changed mine and went from 315lbs down to 247lbs in last 5 months. Only 25 more to go
Don't know if it was this article or another one I read, (I commented about it on my blog some time ago) but proximity doesn't seem to matter. If you have fat friends on the other side of the country, they influence you. I also think it's interesting that our friends influence our weight more than our spouse.
Obesity appears to be a recent world wide scourge. I suspect that if you provide your body with the correct materials you will maintain your correct state of health. (BMI is bogus science like fat free diets)
Losing weight is simple.
1. Eat less 2. Exercise more.
Still weigh too much? Repeat the above and if you cannot exercise anymore.. EAT A LOT LESS. There are no magic pills or secret potions that work any better.
Most people who are overweight eat for every reason they can think of. I managed to put my 188cm, large framed, exercise everyday to 345 pounds! 20+ stone 157 Kilo..
Apples are not 40 calories like many calorie counters report but 400! My first attempt at an easy diet of just 10 apples a day... It is really hard to use up 4000 calories a day working in an office.
Losing weight is easy. Everyone knows what they have to do. Remain conscious and present to the moment is a must. Do not put it off until tomorrow. DO what works for you and that may mean getting on a scale every 1/2 hour until you know how your body fluctuates....
Go back to work.
My dear,
I'm afraid I can't understand a doctor talking about out-side factor instead of adressing the inside problems, food we are taking in,habits we've developed, most importantly sex is also cause of obesity. I can give you knowlege that may help you
Interesting point. I believe that to a degree you are well influenced by your surroundings.
If your family puts unhealthy food on the table, you're probably going to eat it. If your friends like McDonalds you tag along.
Interestingly enough, my what actually seems to be quite a big problem for many overweight people is that they eat to much.
My mother has been on a Weight Watchers course for a couple of months now, and my eyes almost pop out of my head whenever I see the size of those helpings, you wouldn't believe that people can eat so much and actually lose weight, but it sure is working.
Lots of people eat too little to keep them full, but of the wrong things (e.g things with lots of fat), but this causes them to get hungry again quickly so they snack on other things because they're just not full up. Weightwatchers keeps you filled up on things like vegetables and fruit, things with a large volume but little calorie content. So it keeps you full but you're taking in less bad stuff.
Something like that.
I'm one of those people about whom people make obnoxious comments because I'm THIN (it's apparently okay to be rude and hateful to the slender, too), but I'd like to offer my suggestions if it helps any:
1. Don't keep crap around the house. This means no cookies, chips, ice cream, donuts, cakes, or any other empty calories. You can't eat what isn't there.
2. Eat reasonable portions. If you go to a restaurant and they bring a plate full of food for three people (like at a Chinese place), eat just enough for one. Leave the rest (you'll live) or bring it home and divide it up for two dinners. Just because it's there doesn't mean you hafta eat it.
3. Don't eat fast food. Ever. There is no nutritional value to be had there. You may as well eat a bowl full of lard.
4. The things you can do with a chicken breast or thigh or a piece of fish are astounding! Check it out! Dress it up with all manner of vegetables and spices and not only is it low-calorie ... but it's cheap!
I hope there's something useful in here for someone. Good luck!
eat things that have lifeforce and resemble what they once were...its an obvious point to make about proximity...mostly its dodgy conditioning and manipulated agendas of food education that leads to problems....i reckon do as you feel,just be aware of the consequeces and acccept personal responsibility..no one else is liable for someone being overweight with the exception of your local GP perhaps(anti-depressants)..but then thats back to personal responsibility again
Years ago John Wayne was talking about diets and how useful they are on the Phil Donahue Show. He demonstrated his idea of the ideal diet....as he pushed his chair away from the table he and Phil were sitting at.
When I started to lose weight my doctor told me that I was short for my weight. He said that my correct height would be 8'7" for my current weight...hehe.
I wish you all much success in your quest to reach your Ideal Weight.
If you eally want to lose weight , ride a horse for 100 miles in one day.
One of the reasons we have a nation of fat people (me included) is that the Mantra of "Eat Less/Exercise more" doesn't work. The fact is it matters more what you eat. For many years I worked in construction....and was in the Navy Reserve. I could do the annual PT test ( 1.5 mile run/sit-ups/pushups) successfully.......but I was still fat. I had to lose weight to get my current Law Enforcement job, and did the standard lo-cal diet. I lost the weight, but when I did the physical the doctor showed me I was on the verge of jaundice.
I finally discovered the Atkins program....worked perfectly for me......the bottom line is we each need to find the right program.
Can anyone tell me why it doesn't work the other way round, schurely an obese person with lots of thin friends would more likely be conscious of their weight and have better influences on what to eat? Or maybe I'm just too positive minded and naive.
Echoing some previous comments, it's really true that environment plays a significant, if sometimes subtle, part on our size. I lived in France for a time where I was forced to change my lifestyle - I lost 10 pounds in 6 months(I know...not a record...) and was able to keep it off. I have now moved back to the US and just realized this week that the weight is back! My fault of course - no victim here - but still an interesting observation on environment.
I agree I put on nearly 18kgs in 18mths when i moved in with my husband. I cooked what he liked and slept in and cuddled instead of getting up and going to the gym.
Now I look back on that time and I find it hard to believe I didn't see the weight creeping on, and I think about the consequences of my actions!
Doh!
Still happily reducing now and back up early at the gym, maybe the household will make a healthier shift now that I'm back in the zone, after all if the study is right it is your environment and ours is pretty healthy now!
I think it's true that when you're with friends who aren't watching their weight it's much easier to feel like it's "okay" to eat either more than you should or eat the wrong kinds of foods, but when with a friend who's actively watching their weight (and who discusses it), you're much more likely to eat better, too - at least that's how it's worked for me.
I've struggled w/my weight most of my life, but have lost around 80 lbs in the past 15 months. I don't count calories, fat, carbs, etc. Just have learned to make healthy choices and I don't eat foods with High Fructose Corn Syrup, processed flour, and I try to avoid as much processed food as possible. Your body does so much better eating foods in a raw, natural state, and you can eat plenty of it! Also make sure you're eating lots of fiber, which helps kill the sugar cravings and fills you up along with healthy fats.
A couple months ago bought a high-speed blender and have been making green smoothies (i.e. fruit + greens or veggies + greens). Incredibly nutritious and it does wonders.