Can Obesity be contagious?

Obesity is equated with diseases, and these diseases are quite complex and serious. But if we are talking about infectious diseases, we all understand that there is a high probability that it is transmitted from person to person. But is it possible to catch obesity? The question is interesting, given that obesity is still a disease, but not infectious.



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Obesity, according to some scientists this is still an infection, but the infection is social. It is not transmitted by airborne droplets, but people can "get" from each other such a disease. The reason is that people are social creatures. We need to feel approval, and for this we need a company of other people. The society allows us to realize emotionally, develop and manifest ourselves, but experts in dietetics and medicine also argue that society is also a source of bad habits and numerous diseases. Agree, all the bad habits we adopt and in other people - it's addiction, smoking, and obesity. After all, obesity is also a harmful and very harmful habit of man.

For a very long time it was believed that the roots of obesity are exclusively genetic. But today, as a result of numerous studies, scientists come to the conclusion that with regard to obesity, one can also use a saying such as "with whom you are led, from that you will be typed". This, as a result, confirmed a major study conducted by American scientists. His results were published in the well-known journal of the country.

In the course of the study, scientists analyzed the lives of 12,000 people. The period was 30 years. As it was explained, the risk of obesity in a person increased by 60% in the event that at least one of the friends suffered from this problem. In the event that a friend of the same sex with a person, the risk of obesity increased even more. But at the same time, full neighbors, if they live next to you, are unlikely to infect you with obesity. This prompted scientists to think that environmental factors do not have a big impact on the development of obesity.



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It is very likely that people who are surrounded by fat people stop noticing their excess weight and recover over time. They have no one to orient themselves with, there is no one to take an example from, but when compared with more complete friends, they still win. "Infectiousness" of obesity can also be related to the fact that people who communicate closely, have the same predilection for nutrition, the same habits and behavior in some ways is similar.

Scientists also singled out one more reason for the infectiousness of obesity. This is a subconscious factor. We choose friends on the basis of a certain physical and mental similarity, and we do this not consciously in most cases, at the subconscious level. As proof it can be noted the fact that full people and friends are usually full. This, of course, is not always the case, but often enough. So the factor of subconscious choice takes place to be, and it plays an important role in the conversation and the contagion of obesity.

Why are we talking about the contagiousness of obesity? The fact is that scientists are not just studying curiosity for this phenomenon, they are sure that if they understand the causes of obesity in full, it will solve the problems for those people who have long been trying to get rid of obesity by all means. Dieticians have long known that all programs that are aimed at getting rid of extra pounds are much more effective if they are conducted in a group, and not individually for each person. This is confirmed by psychologists who are well aware that the isolation of a person is much more likely to lead to obesity.



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In addition, a long time of isolation often causes the development of many, quite serious diseases, as well as mortality. It is also interesting to note that in order to avoid such isolation of a person, psychologists have recently offered a new way to combat excess weight in a group - social networks on the Internet or other online magazines, forums that help find like-minded people around the world and thereby get good support. And one more tool is the use of the influence of lean friends to fight overweight. Now we need to shift our attention to them and try to approach their weight, their forms. And do not need self-isolation - communicate with friends, visit restaurants, cinemas, as well as other places, but do it competently.

Such studies have attracted a lot of interest from many scientists around the world. But, despite the fact that it was possible to learn as a result of research, scientists can not say exactly what exactly - friendship or obesity - is a consequence, and what is the cause. In this direction, more research is needed, and what results will be obtained in the course of them, it is unlikely that someone will assume.