In the news, BBC reports that US research has shown that having obese people around you (like your spouse, sibling, or friend) elevates the chance of that person to get obese. The statistics reveal amazing results.

Out of the 12,000 people surveyed:

…risk was increased by 57% if a friend was obese, by 40% if a sibling was and 37% if a spouse was.

Hmm… So friends are more influential to your diet that your spouse, huh? Experts elaborate this:

It’s not that obese or non-obese people simply find other similar people to hang out with. Rather, there is a direct, causal relationship. What appears to be happening is that a person becoming obese most likely causes a change of norms about what counts as an appropriate body size. People come to think that it is OK to be bigger since those around them are bigger, and this sensibility spreads.