Keeping Up With the Joneses’ Weight

If you find yourself having a hard time keeping the pounds off, it may be time to look at the people around you. Seriously.

We’re not saying you need to start pointing fingers, but a new study finds some serious connections between weight and the company you keep, even if it’s just your neighbors.

The study involved over 1500 military families who lived on almost 40 military bases. They looked at obesity rates and conducted tests on the families to see if there was any culture of fitness or fatness.

And there was, according to this article:

County obesity rates ranged from 21 to 38 percent, and each 1 percentage point increase in obesity was associated with a 5 percent higher rate of obesity in military parents and a 4 percent higher rate in their 12- or 13-year-old child.

That simply means that if you are surrounded by unhealthy habits, you are more likely to practice them yourself.

There are also studies showing a correlation between friends and family members and obesity. Now – this does not mean you need to cut ties with friends and family when it comes time to lose weight. Instead look at it as an opportunity to start influencing your friends and neighbors to create a healthier local network.

-Shane M.