Friendships influence weight loss/gain
Whether you’re hopelessly out of shape or in prime physical condition, your friends may be the ones to blame (or thank).
Researchers at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine examined data from two large suburban high schools and found that students were more likely to gain weight if they had friends who were heavier than they were.
The converse was also true: students were more likely to lose weight — or gain weight at a slower pace — if they had a slimmer groups of friends.
The team led by David Shoham used data from schools that participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health in 1994 and 1995.
Over the course of two years, the students were surveyed about their weight, friendships, sports activities and television and computer time. Researchers also calculated each student’s body mass index (BMI).
The results, published in the journal PLoS ONE last month, found that students were more likely to gain weight if they had friends who were heavier than they were. The converse was also true: students were more likely to lose weight — or gain weight at a slower pace — if they had a slimmer groups of friends.
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