The New England Journal of Medicine has recently published an article linking obesity to one's social network. The full article is here (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/4/370) but I think the following quote states all we really need to know (plus, the article uses really big words and I didn't want to tax myself):
"A person's chances of becoming obese increased by 57% . . . if he or she had a friend who became obese in a given interval . . . Persons of the same sex had relatively greater influence on each other than those of the opposite sex."
This news comes as a great relief to me. For years now I've attributed my pudgy physique to lack of exercise and a diet consisting of ice cream, bacon and doughnut batter (usually separately but sometimes combined). This study reveals that obviously one of my fat bastard friends is to blame. I racked my brain trying to think who it could be and came up with Travis, who I met in 4th grade. Travis and I were not particularly close, he did not become obese in the time I knew him (he was obese when we met) and I did not become obese until well after we'd lost contact but I really can't think of anybody else who fits the bill and it feels so good to be able to blame my problems on someone else, so Travis it is.
Unfortunately this news also causes some distress. How many people have I made fat over the years? And, how many have they made fat? How many people will refuse my friendship now because they are worried about turning into a tub of goo? My goodness, it's like a big fat unstoppable snowball.
1 comment:
I'm glad you've apparently decided to continue blogging! We all need a little more humour in our lives, and I will be looking to you and your blog to fill the quota needed in mine. Keep up the good work!!
Post a Comment