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Obesity may result from having overweight friends

Updated: 2009-08-21 18:00:13 CST Category: General Health

by Francis Ma

People who are struggling to lose some extra weight may be getting too much help from their friends.

A new study has found that overweight children and teenagers tend to eat more when they are in the company of friends who are overweight as well.

Researchers studied a group of 9- to 15-year-olds and found that the biggest calorie intakes from snacking came when a child ate with an overweight friend.

Sarah-Jean Salvy, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the State University of New York, was one of the researchers and told Reuters that the same behavioral patterns occurred in adult subjects as well in past studies.

"[Friends] set the norm for what is appropriate to do, or in this case eat," Salvy said. She added that a friend, rather than a stranger, can act as "permission-givers," allowing children to overeat.

Recently, a separate study found that people who reduce the number of carbohydrates they intake in their diet can experience weight loss. In fact, cutting out small portions of carbs, such as trading white bread for wheat, can have an effect on one's weight.

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