It’s like the old saying goes, Birds of a Feather flock together, and this can be used to your benefit if you want to lose weight and stay fit. A new study suggests that hanging out with healthy people of normal body weight can help you with your weight loss goals.
The study examined 3,610 women aged between 18 and 46 to see how a person’s friends and family could influence their lifestyle. It was found that those who moved in circles of people who were healthier were more likely to give up on bad lifestyle habits and pick up healthier ones such as to eat healthy and exercise more.
According to head researcher Professor Kylie Ball, from Deakin University in Australia, good behavior may actually be contagious here.
Dr Ball added that the importance of social environmental influences on health-promoting behaviors such as physical activity and healthy eating has been increasingly recognised and this study further demonstrates the connection between social support, eating behaviors and physical activity.
This study opens up the possibility of modifying social norms and using them as an intervention to bring down obesity levels and promote healthier lifestyles.
