It seems that you can catch obesity
Study finds that obesity spreads in social circles
July 26, 2007 - Posted at 12:00 a.m.
BY ALICIA CHANG - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
If
your friends and family get fat, chances are you will too, researchers
report in a startling new study that suggests obesity is "socially
contagious" and can spread easily from person to person.
The large,
federally funded study found that to be true even if your loved ones
lived far away. Social ties seemed to play a surprisingly strong role,
even more than genes are known to do.
"We were 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
percent if a friend did, 40 percent if a sibling did and 37 percent if
a spouse did. In the closest friendships, the risk almost tripled.
Researchers think it's 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 changes one's idea of what is an
acceptable weight.
Despite their findings, the researchers said people should not sever their relationships.
"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 is published in today's New England Journal of Medicine and funded by the National Institute on Aging.
Researchers analyzed medical records of people in the
Framingham Heart Study, which has been following the health of
residents of that Boston suburb for more than a half century. They
tracked records for relatives and friends using contact information
that participants provided each time they were examined over a 32-year
period.
In all, 12,067 people - all Framingham participants - were involved in the study.
After taking into account natural weight gain and other factors,
researchers found the greatest influence occurred among friends and not
in people sharing the same genes or living in the same household.
Geography and smoking cessation had no effect on obesity risk.
On average, the researchers calculated, when an obese person gained
17 pounds, the corresponding friend put on an extra 5 pounds.
Gender also had a strong influence. In same-sex friendships, a
person's obesity risk increased by 71 percent if a friend gained
weight. Between brothers, the risk was up by 44 percent and 67 percent
between sisters.
Indiana University statistician Stan Wasserman said while the study
was clever, it had its limitations because it excluded relationships
outside of the Framingham group.
Obesity is a global public health problem. About 1.5 billion adults
worldwide are overweight, including more than 400 million who are
obese. Two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese.
Much of the recent research focus has been on the intense hunt for
obesity genes involved in appetite or calorie burning. Treatment has
been mainly centered on helping individuals curb their weight through
better diet and fitness.
The findings could open a new avenue for treating this worldwide
epidemic. The researchers said it might be helpful to treat obese
people in groups instead of just the individual.
"Because people are interconnected, their health is interconnected,"
said lead author Nicholas Christakis, a Harvard sociologist.
Obesity experts not involved in the research said the results back
up what they have suspected all along - that people look toward one
another for what is an acceptable weight.
"If you're just a little bit heavy and everyone around you is quite
heavier, you will feel good when you look in a mirror," said Dr. David
Katz, director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center.
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On the Net:
New England Journal:
Framingham Heart Study:
Harvard University:
University of California, San Diego:
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My Opinion:
I have mixed feelings about
this article.
- I agree with the overall idea
of social obesity. - I don't like the idea of
people reading this article and shunning away from people that are obese.
I guess or I hope that when people read this article they don't find obese
people as a contagious disease. Rather I hope that they make a conscious
note to watch their diet.
According to the BMI calculations, I am obese at 255lbs. (I am also
6ft, green eyes, brown hair, and likes long walks on the beach...) I am also
trying to lose weight; just 2 months ago I weighed about 275lbs. So it really
depends on the people that you are with, that are obese...I guess it all comes
back to the idea of not judging a book by its cover. You never know maybe that
obese person is trying to lose weight and they may help you and encourage you
if your trying to lose weight.
Conclusion: Socialize with whom ever you want, your body is under
YOUR control, take care of it! You have to make the decisions in the end. So if
you become obese and decide it's due to a friend that just gained weight, think
again, it's your fault you committed the final act. Just keep in mind you
either 1. Don’t want to gain weight or 2. You want to lose weight and you'll be
fine.
