London: Is obesity contagious? Well, so think scientists who claim that people with a higher number of fat friends or relatives are likely to become obese themselves.
Researchers from Arizona State University`s School of Human Evolution and Social Change in the US found a number of ways in which fat people can influence their friends` girth.
The influence, according to the researchers, can be subliminal -- where having overweight pals can make people see their weight as "normal" and eat accordingly until they`re the same size.
It can also be more direct, with obese people putting pressure on their slimmer friends to eat more and exercise less until they "achieve the same body size", the Daily Mail reported.
And even being around larger pals can put you at risk of gaining weight yourself, as socialising with them is likely to revolve more around eating or watching TV and less about engaging in physical activity, the researchers said.
For their study, the researchers interviewed 101 women from Phoenix Arizona, alongside 812 of their closest friends and relatives.
By looking at the Body Mass Index [BMI] of the women and their friends and relatives, they discovered that the fatter a woman`s social circle, the more likely she was to be obese herself.
This was because "we learn about acceptable body size from family and friends" with friendships based on eating and engaging in little physical activity more likely to end in obesity, the researchers said.
Despite the findings, published in a paper titled `Shared Norms And Their Explanation For The Social Clustering of Obesity`, the researchers found that most women viewed being fat as a source of shame.
Asked whether they would rather be fat or have a range of socially stigmatised conditions -- including alcoholism and herpes -- a quarter of women said they would rather suffer from severe depression than be fat, while 14.5 per cent said they would rather be totally blind than obese.
Lead author Daniel Hruschka said: "Interventions targeted at changing ideas about appropriate body mass indexes or body sizes may be less useful than those working directly with behaviours, for example, by changing eating habits or transforming opportunities for and constraints on dietary
intake.
"When you see that something like obesity spreads among close friends and family members, this raises important questions about how it`s spreading.
"Is it because we learn ideas about acceptable body size from our friends and family members, or that we hike together, watch TV together or go out to eat together?
"If we can figure out exactly why obesity spreads among friends and family members, that can tell us where to focus resources in curbing rates of obesity."
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.