Obesity is one of the biggest health concerns in the United States and around the world. Its risks are wide and well-documented and it can be responsible for several diseases, different crises, like personal or financial ones, as well as relationship issues. The label “epidemic” has been placed on obesity because of the undeniable fact that more and more people are becoming obese or overweight. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “in 1995, there were an estimated 200 million obese adults worldwide and another 18 million under-five children classified as overweight. As of 2000, the number of obese adults has increased to over 300 million” [1].
The answer to the question of what causes obesity is all but simple. People are more sedentary, there is an enormous amount of inexpensive high-sugar, high-calorie, overly processed foods available everywhere and it seems that food deserts [2] (large expanses of territory with little fresh produce available to purchase) are expanding.
But there must be something else. Surely other factors have had to come into play for people’s weight to reach current levels. There has been much talk about sugar addiction or other psychological factors, and many authors and researchers have emphatically stated that it’s all about lifestyle. But what does that really mean? Does it just refer to how much exercise we do and where we choose to eat? Or could it be that it’s also about how we interact with others and how we influence each other’s decisions?
At LIMARP®, we understand that obesity doesn’t just stem from one particular problem, but rather a plethora of factors that are a consequence of internal and external circumstances. The people who arrive at our clinic are met with empathic care and we count with a multidisciplinary team of doctors who are qualified to treat any weight-related problem the patient may have. Our integral treatment plans, beyond helping people lose weight, also aim to educate and help them understand the reasons behind their struggles.
This article focuses on how our social networks influence our lifestyle and our relationship with food, and how positive and negative influences can affect our mental health. The research on this particular topic is still limited and we always recommend that you seek professional help from a certified psychologist if you have harmful recurring thoughts.
It’s no secret that our relationships have a big impact on our life, both negative and positive, and while having a good support system is what’s ideal, not all people have the opportunity or privilege of being part of a healthy social network. In Sociology, a social network is defined as “a network of individuals (such as friends, acquaintances, and coworkers) connected by interpersonal relationships”, and over the last 10 years, a growing body of work has focused on the role that such networks might play in understanding the development of overweight and obesity[3].
Habits can influence your health and they can spread through social networks in much the same way that germs spread through communities.
Researchers from Harvard Medical school suspect that “a social network influences what its members perceive as normal and acceptable. If people see their friends becoming heavier and heavier over time, they may accept weight gain as natural, even inevitable. Instead of exercising more or eating less when their weight begins to creep up, they may simply go with the flow and join the crowd”. [4]
When it comes to family dynamics, genetics can also come into play, but any weight irregularities are primarily due to lifestyle choices, like their diet or level of physical activity. Many parents who are looking to lose weight tend to struggle, not because of lack of motivation, but because of limited time. A study found that people who have support within their social network, meaning that they can count on others to look after their children or home responsibilities, are more likely to reach their weight goals.[5]
Sometimes, it’s not even your family who has the most influence on you. A 2007 study concluded that “pairs of friends and siblings of the same sex appeared to have more influence on the weight gain of each other than did pairs of friends and siblings of the opposite sex. This finding also provides support for the social nature of any induction of obesity, since it seems likely that people are influenced more by those they resemble than by those they do not.” [6]
A 2015 study[3] was able to categorize the processes through which people may be influenced by their social networks to either gain or lose weight. The first one is social contagion, where the network in which people are embedded influences their weight or weight-influencing behaviors; the second is social capital, where a sense of belonging and social support influence weight or weight-influencing behaviors, and social selection, where a person’s network might develop according to his or her weight.
Inside each process we can find “different dimensions” which signal the complexity of the influence these types of networks have on different people. Next, we’ll highlight the dimensions of each process.
- Social Contagion. Mirroring weight influences behavior of others, aspiring to the body size of others in one’s social network, and changing behavior in response to the body sizes in a particular setting.
- Social Capital. Sense of belonging and social support.
- Social Selection. Homophily, unlike the processes of contagion or social capital, can be observed when social networks are developed according to people’s weight.
The good news is that these types of influences can also be reversed, meaning that social networks can also help people maintain a healthy weight or lose unwanted weight. If public health specialists learn to work with natural social systems or networks, they might be able to spread healthful habits, positive attitudes, and smart lifestyle choices throughout communities. Other evidence has shown that having a positive support system or good relationships within social networks can help people achieve their goals and be more mindful of their health.
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If you want more information about this topic, schedule an appointment with one of our doctors. We can help determine the right treatment for you. Contact us online anytime or give us a call at (619) 373-0229.
References
[1] “Controlling the global obesity epidemic”. https://www.who.int/activities/controlling-the-global-obesity-epidemic. (Accessed July 11th, 2022).
[2] Renee E. Walker, Christopher R. Keane, Jessica G. Burke. Disparities and access to healthy food in the United States: A review of food deserts literature.Health & Place, Volume 16, Issue 5, 2010. Pages 876-884. ISSN 1353-8292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2010.04.013.
[3] Powell, K., Wilcox, J., Clonan, A. et al. The role of social networks in the development of overweight and obesity among adults: a scoping review. BMC Public Health 15, 996 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-2314-0.
[4] “Social networks and health: Communicable but not infectious”. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/social-networks-and-health-communicable-but-not-infectious. (Accessed July 11th, 2022).
[5] Winston GJ, Phillips EG, Wethington E, Devine C, Wells M, Peterson JC, Hippolyte J, Ramos R, Martinez G, Eldridge J, Charlson M. Social network characteristics associated with weight loss among black and hispanic adults. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2015 Aug;23(8):1570-6. doi: 10.1002/oby.21155. Epub 2015 Jul 14. PMID: 26179578; PMCID: PMC4669882.
[6] Christakis NA, Fowler JH, Christakis NA, Fowler JH. The spread of obesity in a large social network over 32 years. N Engl J Med. 2007;357(4):370–9.