Is Obesity “Contagious”?

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

Can you actually catch obesity from someone else, like a cold? No, of course not! What I mean by obesity being contagious is the presence of a giant social component to lifestyle habits that strongly contributes to obesity.

Scientific studies continue to document that both health-promoting and health-damaging habits are fostered by our social connections. And when it comes to lifestyle behaviors like eating and physical activity, most of us are strongly influenced by what our friends and family are doing. The good news is that you can learn to recognize what I call “lifestyle sabotage” and choose another path for yourself.

I’d like to share the story told by one of my patients. She had lost about 30 pounds and had a strong commitment to making lifestyle changes. She came to see me one day, very forlorn, after meeting some friends at a restaurant the evening before. She chose vegetable soup to start. While she opted out from their usual order of a large fried onion loaf, she encouraged her friends to order whatever they wanted. When it came time to order dessert, she suggested they share two desserts among the four friends (this restaurant had hefty portions!), as she didn’t want a whole one for herself (she had pre-planned a few bites).

At the end of that meal, her friends told her, “You’re no fun anymore – you don’t like to eat.” This lady was very hurt, since she believed the friendship and socializing were the key features, not the food. Sadly, her friends, who had their own weight struggles, felt the opposite way and expressed discomfort that she wasn’t eating “like she used to.”

You may have found yourself in a similar situation, demonstrating how easy it is to get in a pattern of accidental sabotage. This can make it harder to both create and sustain positive lifestyle change.

Such lifestyle sabotage also pertains to physical activity. You might want to go for a long walk, but others discourage you in favor of a new movie or “can’t be missed” TV show.  

You can only control your own behavior. If you see yourself in these examples, try to create an environment of positive health patterning with people who are like-minded. This is one sure step to continued engagement in a healthy lifestyle, and it will almost certainly help support your long-term effort.

How have you changed your social networking to avoid lifestyle sabotage and promote good health?