Summer is in full swing and many of us spend our free time eating, drinking, and socializing in the company of our friends. Numerous studies show that your friends have the greatest ability to negatively impact your weight, even more so than a spouse.
A study by researchers Christakis & Fowler, published in 2007, followed 12,067 subjects for over
32 years and found that a person’s chances of becoming obese increased by 57% if a friend became obese. Among married couples, the spouse was 37% more likely to become obese if their partner became obese.
We often underestimate the power of peer pressure. Many of my clients tell me that they feel they need to overeat in order to fit in with other friends. Scientists call this
phenomenon "social contagion." I call it “monkey see, monkey do.”
We tend to mimic the behavior of others and if they’re engaging in overeating, we certainly don’t want to feel left out or be the odd man out. We also gravitate to people who are like us, so if we have food and weight issues, our friends
often do too.
Problems can arise when we decide we’re going to make some changes for the better. Friendships can become strained when one person is committed to a healthy lifestyle and another friend isn’t. In fact, the friendship may revolve around going out and overeating together.
Changing this dynamic can threaten the relationship.
I’ve had many clients tell me they’ve had friends who have actively tried to sabotage them by encouraging unhealthy eating behavior or trying to push food on them by bringing them chocolates, baked goods,
etc.
