Are Your Friends Making You Fat? (Infographic)

Depending on how healthy your friends are, fortunately, or unfortunately, eating habits tend to be contagious.

Did you know that your friends can influence your eating habits by 34.5%?

Have trouble believing it? Think back to the last time a co-worker or friend invited you to lunch – did you conveniently abandon the healthy salad you had in the fridge to indulge in endless chips and salsa instead?

If you’re trying to maintain a healthy weight or even lose weight, who you spend your time with matters.

• You are 37% more likely to be obese if your spouse is obese.
• You are 57% more likely to be obese if your friends are obese.

Why? According to the infographic below, being surrounded by overweight people changes our perceptions of what is considered normal and, as a result, it raises our tolerance for obesity both in others and ourselves.

Don’t let your friends sabotage your healthy eating habits or weight loss efforts. Surround yourself with friends who adopt a healthy lifestyle. And, if you have friends who love to indulge in fast foods or a lot of junk food, try to minimize your time with them involving food or work on introducing them to healthier options.

Check out the infographic below to see how your friends might be making you fat.