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We all want to live a long life, full of fun, laughter, family, food and exercise. Sometimes it is hard to make healthy decisions with all the conflicting nutrition information out there. Your RD online is scouring the latest news articles and magazines for the most up-to-date nutrition and health news to craft timely, important articles to help you stay informed and make healthy decisions.
FEATURED ARTICLE
Once again, It’s Who You Know That Matters!
Recent Research Links Relationships and Obesity
By Alanna Nimau Vigil, MS, RD
Obesity is on the rise in this country. Investigators have studied the role of certain ingredients in the foods we eat, the role of
exercise and treatments to learn more about obesity. They recently looked at the role of relationships between friends and family to determine if a link between them and obesity exists.
The Research
In a study featured in the NEJM, investigators took a close look at the subjects (people being examined in a study) from the Framingham Heart Study. The Framingham Heart Study is an excellent feat of record keeping for 12,067 people. The original group has been followed since 1948 and their children and grandchildren have been followed as well. The data collected provides detailed information on the habits, health, relationships and lifestyles of a large number of Americans and their offspring. For these reasons, this group is often studied.
The investigators looked closely at who became obese, who their friends and family are and where they live in relation to others in the study. They found that the obesity rate in this population cannot be explained by genetics or income levels. A person’s chance of becoming obese is affected by the type of relationship they have with another obese person or persons. They are more likely to become obese if the other person is their (in descending order) mutual friend, their sibling (especially a sibling of the same gender) or their spouse. It made no difference if the friend or sibling lived close or far away. The strength of the relationship is what mattered in developing obesity for this group. There was also no relationship between neighbors’ obesity rates.
What does this research tell us?
Relationships matter. Close friends, siblings and
spouses form our inner circle. These people, consciously or unconsciously, influence how, when, where we eat, exercise and what products and food we buy. Knowing that, to embark on a successful campaign to make or maintain healthy changes in your lifestyle it is helpful if your loved ones are understanding and supportive. To ensure success, consider partnering up with your best friend or spouse and enjoy your healthy journey together. It will certainly be more fun than trying it alone!
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