Our friendships can have quite an influence on how we live our lives. There's a tangible link between the way we behave and the men and women we have friendships with. And yet we're likely to have presumed this commonality concerned our likes and dislikes - for example we enjoy the same musical tastes as our friends, or hold similar political views.
Lately though, studies are claiming that we will have more tendency to be overweight if we hang around with others who are overweight. According to a recent news article, we have a tendency to consume more when eating with heavier people who we know well. A US research team looked at kids eating habits. They found that the heavier ones ate more when they were with their heavier pals than when they were with their slimmer friends.
Everyone in the group actually devoured more when they were in the company of friends, regardless of their size. But pairing up overweight friends led to the biggest consumption of all. The study was undertaken by researchers from the State University of New York at Buffalo. It highlighted the role friends play in influencing how much youngsters eat.
Frankly, having more relaxed habits when with friends is not a big surprise. Adults would no doubt have demonstrated the same characteristics. It's possible however that in addition, we assume friends will give their consent. We're inclined to unconsciously monitor our behaviour in relation to their reaction to it.
The researchers observed a whole mix of young people for this study. They were split into groups of two friends, or groups of two strangers. All were furnished with nibbles, fruit and vegetables. They also had various games to keep them occupied.
With each of the pairs, the ones who knew each other before the experiment got through more food than the ones who didn't. However, the heavier friends tucked away the most. And the differences were quite significant.
An average of seven hundred and thirty eight calories was eaten by overweight teens who paired with a friend. But the overweight youngsters with slimmer friends ate nearly three hundred calories less. The slimmer ones ate a fairly stable five hundred calories whatever the size of their friends. This ties in with the commonly held view that in early teens many kids' decisions to smoke or drink alcohol are strongly influenced by what their friends do.
This led the researchers to suggest that young people's eating habits are largely determined by their social network. Yet this power of association can be beneficial, as positive influences are just as possible as negative ones. Healthy nutrition then should be part of every child's curriculum.
Lately though, studies are claiming that we will have more tendency to be overweight if we hang around with others who are overweight. According to a recent news article, we have a tendency to consume more when eating with heavier people who we know well. A US research team looked at kids eating habits. They found that the heavier ones ate more when they were with their heavier pals than when they were with their slimmer friends.
Everyone in the group actually devoured more when they were in the company of friends, regardless of their size. But pairing up overweight friends led to the biggest consumption of all. The study was undertaken by researchers from the State University of New York at Buffalo. It highlighted the role friends play in influencing how much youngsters eat.
Frankly, having more relaxed habits when with friends is not a big surprise. Adults would no doubt have demonstrated the same characteristics. It's possible however that in addition, we assume friends will give their consent. We're inclined to unconsciously monitor our behaviour in relation to their reaction to it.
The researchers observed a whole mix of young people for this study. They were split into groups of two friends, or groups of two strangers. All were furnished with nibbles, fruit and vegetables. They also had various games to keep them occupied.
With each of the pairs, the ones who knew each other before the experiment got through more food than the ones who didn't. However, the heavier friends tucked away the most. And the differences were quite significant.
An average of seven hundred and thirty eight calories was eaten by overweight teens who paired with a friend. But the overweight youngsters with slimmer friends ate nearly three hundred calories less. The slimmer ones ate a fairly stable five hundred calories whatever the size of their friends. This ties in with the commonly held view that in early teens many kids' decisions to smoke or drink alcohol are strongly influenced by what their friends do.
This led the researchers to suggest that young people's eating habits are largely determined by their social network. Yet this power of association can be beneficial, as positive influences are just as possible as negative ones. Healthy nutrition then should be part of every child's curriculum.
About the Author:
(C) Scott Edwards. Pop to WeightLossDietWar.com for excellent advice on slimming and weight management.
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