Released on: May 15, 2008, 1:39 am

Press Release Author: Linda Tremer

Industry: Healthcare

Press Release Summary: Can this be true? If your friends are fat you will also tend
to be fat.

Press Release Body: Can this be true? If your friends are fat you will also tend to
be fat. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that spouses, family
and friends all have an influence on your weight.

The study investigated the extent of the person-to-person spread of obesity.
Researchers examined whether weight gain in one person was associated with weight
gain in his or her friends, siblings, spouse and neighbors.

Amazingly, the study showed that obesity spreads through a social network. A
friend's weight gain or loss had a bigger influence than genetics. Friends of the
same sex had more of an influenced than did friends of the opposite sex.

The study showed that a person's chance of becoming obese increased by 57 percent if
they had a friend who became obese, 40 percent if their sibling became obese and 37
percent if their spouse became obese. There was no effect if an immediate neighbor
became obese.

Oddly, enough no matter how far away a friend lived even hundreds of miles the
effect on the weight gain or loss was the same. The researchers concluded that
social distance is more important than geographical distance.

Thus researchers ruled out common environmental factors such as eating together as
an influence on weight gain. Rather it seems that ideas and thoughts about weight
were more important.

When someone observes a friend gaining weight they may accept the weight gain in
themselves. They concluded that the behavior itself spreads form person to person.
Having obese social contacts might change a person's tolerance for being obese and
might influence the adoption of the behavior.

If your circle of friends and family become heavier you will think it is acceptable
and also tend to gain weight. And if you have a spouse and friends who are thin you
will also be thinner.

Contrary to what this study says, don't blame your friends if you are overweight.
You have a free will and can choose your friends and what you put into your mouth.
You choose the amount of exercise that you get. Don't use this study as a cope out
to stay overweight.

The good news is that based on this study if you are overweight and want to lose
weight find some new close friends who are thin. Go to the gym and befriend a
person of the same sex who is lean and working to stay that way. Who knows this may
be enough to influence you to lose weight.

CLOSE: To find out more information on topics like this, go to
http://www.thecenterforweightloss.com/weightlossprograms.htm
Contact Information:

Linda Tremer
The Center For Weight Loss
tcfwl@yahoo.com
860-546-2199
This PR has been submitted by TrafficMagicians.com


Web Site: http://www.thecenterforweightloss.com

Contact Details: The Center For Weight Loss
157 John Brook Rd.
Canterbury Connecticut
USA 06331
Phone: 860-546-2199
Email: tcfwl@yahoo.com