IT HAS been blamed on fast food, genetics and a sedentary lifestyle. Now research suggests obesity is "socially contagious" — and your friends could be making you fat.
A study of more than 12,000 people found that having an obese friend increases the risk of becoming obese by up to 57 per cent. Having an overweight brother or sister increases the chances by 40 per cent and having a heavy spouse by 37 per cent.
The Harvard Medical School research, published today in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, found that even having a fat friend hundreds of kilometres away can affect a person's weight. MagazineLane.com
A study of more than 12,000 people found that having an obese friend increases the risk of becoming obese by up to 57 per cent. Having an overweight brother or sister increases the chances by 40 per cent and having a heavy spouse by 37 per cent.
The Harvard Medical School research, published today in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, found that even having a fat friend hundreds of kilometres away can affect a person's weight. MagazineLane.com
