There have been studies over the years that have looked at obesity and some of the reasons why people may struggle with this issue. There have been theories related to emotional health and stability as a cause as well as a gene that may contribute to the likelihood of someone becoming obese. But what about the people that you interact with on a daily basis and the role that they might play in obesity? Can your social networks really play a part in your size?
New studies are starting to emerge that have looked at that very question. It was determined that obesity can be seen within different social networks, especially families and it really did not depend on how closely these family members lived to one another. This information could really be helpful when looking at ways to prevent obesity among all age groups, races and social classes.
Take a few moments and think about how you interact with others on a daily basis. If you are involved with people that have certain attitudes and thoughts related to obesity then you will probably begin to adopt them as well. Their behaviors will probably rub off on you as well. Therefore, if they are eating fast food or fried food several days a week then it may become like second nature to you. Preparing well balanced nutritional meals may not be a priority to you. The more unhealthy foods you eat the more you increase in size. Their attitude about weight still remains neutral and so does yours. It becomes a cycle that the entire social network is involved in.
Take a look at a few of the findings from one study that was published in 2007. This may help you better understand the role of social networks in obesity. One finding was that an individual who had a close friend who was obese was approximately 57% more likely to become obese. Another finding was that husbands and wives seemed to play a role in the weight gain of each other. If one spouse gained weight and become obese, their partner was more than likely to do the same.
This information is very telling. This may actually mean that one's attitude and acceptance level plays a larger role in obesity than genetics or emotional health. We all know the role that social networks play in other areas of our lives. Just look at children and the way that they tend to follow their peers to fit in. We all seem to go with the flow. When you feel accepted and you feel like you belong you become content and you are willing to remain the way you are.
On the flip side, if social networks play such a large role in obesity, could they not play an equally large role in nutritional health? If one person were to start making healthier choices then others within the group may be more willing to follow. Everyone could decrease their weight and make healthier choices. Maybe this is the key to preventing obesity. Maybe it is actually a group effort. That certainly is something to think about.
Christine Crotts loves to cook in her kitchen with a crowd seated around the kitchen island. Christine has written a site with reviews of custom kitchen islands [http://www.customkitchenislands.net], as well as a review of free standing kitchen islands [http://www.customkitchenislands.net/articles/free-standing-kitchen-islands.html].
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