Obesity is contagious. But only psychologically
Is it possible to get infected with obesity?
Kirill Stasevich, Compulenta
You can get infected not only by someone else's infection, but also by someone else's habit: a non–drinker surrounded by alcoholics will drink, a non-smoker will smoke, etc. (However, personal discipline and endurance should not be discounted either.)
A similar thing can be seen in terms of nutrition. That is, if a person sees everyone around him eating something low-calorie, then he will follow the general example. And vice versa: if all they do around is eat a lot and fat, then the same "diet" awaits those who find themselves in such a wild environment.
Studies on this topic have been conducted, and their results are summarized in the meta-analytical work of specialists from the University of Liverpool (UK), which is being prepared for publication in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Generally speaking, we are talking here about the influence of social norms on individual behavior. Well, you know: "With whom you will be led, you will gain from that", "You got involved with the yard punks, you became a hooligan", "You moved to Moscow, so now you can't go around him on a crooked goat" – and so on, and so on. But if we assume that a person can become a bully under someone else's influence, then why not assume that this influence plays a role in smaller, everyday habits?
We need to be aware of our place in a social group, constantly assert our belonging to it, and even if we are not inclined to please others at all, general social norms are still "read" and influence behavior, even if we are not aware of it. And in this sense, the answer to the question "Is it possible to get infected with obesity?" is quite affirmative, one has only to get into an environment that eats "from the belly" and "all sorts of filth". Similarly, a healthy person will get a cold after spending a couple of days in a sneezing and coughing train car.
These data should be taken into account by everyone who deals with the problem of obesity, from geneticists to psychologists: you can explain to a person as much as you like about the harm of fast food and even give pills to reduce appetite, but while his friends are completely fed in such an institution, all efforts of such propaganda will be wasted.
Prepared by Medical Xpress: I'll have what they're having: Study finds social norms influence food choicesPortal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru