Guest guest Posted July 26, 2007 Report Share Posted July 26, 2007 I saw that in today's paper, too. What they didn't factor into their study (from the newspaper account anyway) was whether these people were dieting! I would certainly believe friends tell each other about the latest diet, then they all try it, lose some weight, gain it back plus more, and a few cycles of that and they're all obese! In today's environment of " thin is in " , I can't believe that 1 person becoming obese makes is more socially acceptable to their friends to gain weight. But I can certainly believe that yo-yo dieting has led to the " obesity epidemic " ! What do other people think? Barnee > > This morning on the radio they had on the news about a new study. They found that people who are overweight are 60-70 percent (I forget the actual figure) more likely to have overweight friends. They then went on to say that obesity is " socially contagious. " > > That's a great way for society to accept fat people. Tell them it's contagious. > > R > > > --------------------------------- > Ask a question on any topic and get answers from real people. Go to Yahoo! Answers. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 I saw this same thing on Yahoo in their news section. It really really really depresses me. Just one more thing for my son to be fearful of when he goes to school. Michele Kipkabob wrote: This morning on the radio they had on the news about a new study. They found that people who are overweight are 60-70 percent (I forget the actual figure) more likely to have overweight friends. They then went on to say that obesity is "socially contagious." That's a great way for society to accept fat people. Tell them it's contagious. R Ask a question on any topic and get answers from real people. Go to Yahoo! Answers. Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not web links. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 I saw this same thing on Yahoo in their news section. It really really really depresses me. Just one more thing for my son to be fearful of when he goes to school. Michele Kipkabob wrote: This morning on the radio they had on the news about a new study. They found that people who are overweight are 60-70 percent (I forget the actual figure) more likely to have overweight friends. They then went on to say that obesity is "socially contagious." That's a great way for society to accept fat people. Tell them it's contagious. R Ask a question on any topic and get answers from real people. Go to Yahoo! Answers. Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not web links. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 I have a friend who is significantly overweight, and we recently returned from a short road trip. We were staying at a really nice hotel for a night and were so tired from our day of sightseeing that we decided to have a pizza delivered to the room. She likes to keep the TV on 24/7 and I do not; she'd clicked it on as soon as we'd gotten to the room and it was off only when we slept. She flicked it on bright and early the following morning, too. When the pizza came, I asked if we could turn the TV off and enjoy our food. She was utterly SHOCKED at this suggestion--her reaction was unnerving to me, her eyes wide and her voice quavery, as if I'd slapped her across the face. I said, " I like to focus on my food without distraction when I eat, " but this concept was completely lost on her...she replied, " Um, OKAY..... " and sat in miserable, abject silence as we began to eat, no conversation, no nothing. She was so uncomfortable, it made ME uncomfortable. So I gave up and turned the TV back on so I wouldn't have to " hear " her overwhelming, uneasy silence. And then she complained how much she ate and how full she was and etc. etc. She said she hated the sound of people chewing, but I can't relate. In my opinion, she lives " from the neck up " and is very unhealthy about her body and food and it's hard to be around (she's very out of touch with her emotions in a lot of ways, too, and very enmeshed with the Diet Mentality). I have to work at detaching, and in this instance, I wasn't going to get into a power struggle. It was for one night and I decided to be flexible. I still focused on my hunger, in spite of the TV. So, my point is, being around " unconscious " health habits and people who do not have respectful/healthy/serene/functional relationships to their bodies and to food could very well (subconsciously) affect other people. If I were not becoming healthier about my own relationship to food and my body and if I were still enmeshed with the Diet Mentality, because of my OWN co-dependent tendencies, consistently being with someone else who is that way just compounds my own issues further (I know this from other experiences, too). Luckily, I am not only in recovery for life issues, I'm " in recovery " (through IE) for food/body issues, so I'm good at staying aware and taking care of myself as best as I can in a given situation. To me, it isn't saying " fat people are bad. " It's about cause and effect. I think a lot of people naturally eat in a highly distracted state and are unaware of the impact it has on themselves and those around them. It was a relief to come back to my own living space and enjoy eating without distraction. Caitlin > This morning on the radio they had on the news about a new study. They found that people who are overweight are 60-70 percent (I forget the actual figure) more likely to have overweight friends. They then went on to say that obesity is " socially contagious. " > > That's a great way for society to accept fat people. Tell them it's contagious. > > R > > --------------------------------- > Ask a question on any topic and get answers from real people. Go to Yahoo! Answers. > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not web links. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 I have a friend who is significantly overweight, and we recently returned from a short road trip. We were staying at a really nice hotel for a night and were so tired from our day of sightseeing that we decided to have a pizza delivered to the room. She likes to keep the TV on 24/7 and I do not; she'd clicked it on as soon as we'd gotten to the room and it was off only when we slept. She flicked it on bright and early the following morning, too. When the pizza came, I asked if we could turn the TV off and enjoy our food. She was utterly SHOCKED at this suggestion--her reaction was unnerving to me, her eyes wide and her voice quavery, as if I'd slapped her across the face. I said, " I like to focus on my food without distraction when I eat, " but this concept was completely lost on her...she replied, " Um, OKAY..... " and sat in miserable, abject silence as we began to eat, no conversation, no nothing. She was so uncomfortable, it made ME uncomfortable. So I gave up and turned the TV back on so I wouldn't have to " hear " her overwhelming, uneasy silence. And then she complained how much she ate and how full she was and etc. etc. She said she hated the sound of people chewing, but I can't relate. In my opinion, she lives " from the neck up " and is very unhealthy about her body and food and it's hard to be around (she's very out of touch with her emotions in a lot of ways, too, and very enmeshed with the Diet Mentality). I have to work at detaching, and in this instance, I wasn't going to get into a power struggle. It was for one night and I decided to be flexible. I still focused on my hunger, in spite of the TV. So, my point is, being around " unconscious " health habits and people who do not have respectful/healthy/serene/functional relationships to their bodies and to food could very well (subconsciously) affect other people. If I were not becoming healthier about my own relationship to food and my body and if I were still enmeshed with the Diet Mentality, because of my OWN co-dependent tendencies, consistently being with someone else who is that way just compounds my own issues further (I know this from other experiences, too). Luckily, I am not only in recovery for life issues, I'm " in recovery " (through IE) for food/body issues, so I'm good at staying aware and taking care of myself as best as I can in a given situation. To me, it isn't saying " fat people are bad. " It's about cause and effect. I think a lot of people naturally eat in a highly distracted state and are unaware of the impact it has on themselves and those around them. It was a relief to come back to my own living space and enjoy eating without distraction. Caitlin > This morning on the radio they had on the news about a new study. They found that people who are overweight are 60-70 percent (I forget the actual figure) more likely to have overweight friends. They then went on to say that obesity is " socially contagious. " > > That's a great way for society to accept fat people. Tell them it's contagious. > > R > > --------------------------------- > Ask a question on any topic and get answers from real people. Go to Yahoo! Answers. > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not web links. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 I have a friend who is significantly overweight, and we recently returned from a short road trip. We were staying at a really nice hotel for a night and were so tired from our day of sightseeing that we decided to have a pizza delivered to the room. She likes to keep the TV on 24/7 and I do not; she'd clicked it on as soon as we'd gotten to the room and it was off only when we slept. She flicked it on bright and early the following morning, too. When the pizza came, I asked if we could turn the TV off and enjoy our food. She was utterly SHOCKED at this suggestion--her reaction was unnerving to me, her eyes wide and her voice quavery, as if I'd slapped her across the face. I said, " I like to focus on my food without distraction when I eat, " but this concept was completely lost on her...she replied, " Um, OKAY..... " and sat in miserable, abject silence as we began to eat, no conversation, no nothing. She was so uncomfortable, it made ME uncomfortable. So I gave up and turned the TV back on so I wouldn't have to " hear " her overwhelming, uneasy silence. And then she complained how much she ate and how full she was and etc. etc. She said she hated the sound of people chewing, but I can't relate. In my opinion, she lives " from the neck up " and is very unhealthy about her body and food and it's hard to be around (she's very out of touch with her emotions in a lot of ways, too, and very enmeshed with the Diet Mentality). I have to work at detaching, and in this instance, I wasn't going to get into a power struggle. It was for one night and I decided to be flexible. I still focused on my hunger, in spite of the TV. So, my point is, being around " unconscious " health habits and people who do not have respectful/healthy/serene/functional relationships to their bodies and to food could very well (subconsciously) affect other people. If I were not becoming healthier about my own relationship to food and my body and if I were still enmeshed with the Diet Mentality, because of my OWN co-dependent tendencies, consistently being with someone else who is that way just compounds my own issues further (I know this from other experiences, too). Luckily, I am not only in recovery for life issues, I'm " in recovery " (through IE) for food/body issues, so I'm good at staying aware and taking care of myself as best as I can in a given situation. To me, it isn't saying " fat people are bad. " It's about cause and effect. I think a lot of people naturally eat in a highly distracted state and are unaware of the impact it has on themselves and those around them. It was a relief to come back to my own living space and enjoy eating without distraction. Caitlin > This morning on the radio they had on the news about a new study. They found that people who are overweight are 60-70 percent (I forget the actual figure) more likely to have overweight friends. They then went on to say that obesity is " socially contagious. " > > That's a great way for society to accept fat people. Tell them it's contagious. > > R > > --------------------------------- > Ask a question on any topic and get answers from real people. Go to Yahoo! Answers. > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not web links. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 I totally agree with you. People often eat like those around them. There was even a recent study that showed that one is more inclined to overeat when people around them are overeating. I think it's so sad to think about the children who have parents who model unconscious eating in front of the tv, or model any form of eating as a distraction for boredom. I think the study sends a good message: model the kinds of behaviors that you want your family to have. By the way, good job of still being mindful while eating in front of the tv. I would have turned on the tv, too, to avoid the uncomfortable silence. > So, my point is, being around " unconscious " health habits and people > who do not have respectful/healthy/serene/functional relationships to > their bodies and to food could very well (subconsciously) affect other > people. If I were not becoming healthier about my own relationship to > food and my body and if I were still enmeshed with the Diet Mentality, > because of my OWN co-dependent tendencies, consistently being with > someone else who is that way just compounds my own issues further (I > know this from other experiences, too). > Luckily, I am not only in recovery for life issues, I'm " in recovery " > (through IE) for food/body issues, so I'm good at staying aware and > taking care of myself as best as I can in a given situation. > To me, it isn't saying " fat people are bad. " It's about cause and > effect. I think a lot of people naturally eat in a highly distracted > state and are unaware of the impact it has on themselves and those > around them. > It was a relief to come back to my own living space and enjoy eating > without distraction. > > Caitlin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 I totally agree with you. People often eat like those around them. There was even a recent study that showed that one is more inclined to overeat when people around them are overeating. I think it's so sad to think about the children who have parents who model unconscious eating in front of the tv, or model any form of eating as a distraction for boredom. I think the study sends a good message: model the kinds of behaviors that you want your family to have. By the way, good job of still being mindful while eating in front of the tv. I would have turned on the tv, too, to avoid the uncomfortable silence. > So, my point is, being around " unconscious " health habits and people > who do not have respectful/healthy/serene/functional relationships to > their bodies and to food could very well (subconsciously) affect other > people. If I were not becoming healthier about my own relationship to > food and my body and if I were still enmeshed with the Diet Mentality, > because of my OWN co-dependent tendencies, consistently being with > someone else who is that way just compounds my own issues further (I > know this from other experiences, too). > Luckily, I am not only in recovery for life issues, I'm " in recovery " > (through IE) for food/body issues, so I'm good at staying aware and > taking care of myself as best as I can in a given situation. > To me, it isn't saying " fat people are bad. " It's about cause and > effect. I think a lot of people naturally eat in a highly distracted > state and are unaware of the impact it has on themselves and those > around them. > It was a relief to come back to my own living space and enjoy eating > without distraction. > > Caitlin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 I totally agree with you. People often eat like those around them. There was even a recent study that showed that one is more inclined to overeat when people around them are overeating. I think it's so sad to think about the children who have parents who model unconscious eating in front of the tv, or model any form of eating as a distraction for boredom. I think the study sends a good message: model the kinds of behaviors that you want your family to have. By the way, good job of still being mindful while eating in front of the tv. I would have turned on the tv, too, to avoid the uncomfortable silence. > So, my point is, being around " unconscious " health habits and people > who do not have respectful/healthy/serene/functional relationships to > their bodies and to food could very well (subconsciously) affect other > people. If I were not becoming healthier about my own relationship to > food and my body and if I were still enmeshed with the Diet Mentality, > because of my OWN co-dependent tendencies, consistently being with > someone else who is that way just compounds my own issues further (I > know this from other experiences, too). > Luckily, I am not only in recovery for life issues, I'm " in recovery " > (through IE) for food/body issues, so I'm good at staying aware and > taking care of myself as best as I can in a given situation. > To me, it isn't saying " fat people are bad. " It's about cause and > effect. I think a lot of people naturally eat in a highly distracted > state and are unaware of the impact it has on themselves and those > around them. > It was a relief to come back to my own living space and enjoy eating > without distraction. > > Caitlin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 I would have been uncomfortable more because this instance would have made me wonder how I appear and act regarding food too. Unnerving to say the least ;-) The good news is that we are changing for our own positive reasons > When the pizza came, I asked if we could turn the TV off and enjoy our > food. She was utterly SHOCKED at this suggestion--her reaction was > unnerving to me, her eyes wide and her voice quavery, as if I'd > slapped her across the face. > I said, " I like to focus on my food without distraction when I eat, " > but this concept was completely lost on her...she replied, " Um, > OKAY..... " and sat in miserable, abject silence as we began to eat, no > conversation, no nothing. She was so uncomfortable, it made ME > uncomfortable. So I gave up and turned the TV back on so I wouldn't > have to " hear " her overwhelming, uneasy silence. > And then she complained how much she ate and how full she was and etc. > etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Hi, Ann, Distracted eating is something I'm working on too. One thing that helps me when I'm eating in a social situation, is to stop, put the fork down, and just check in with myself. How full am I? Does the food still taste good? Am I ready to stop? If I'm not sure, I just wait a few minutes and check in again. If I decide I am still hungry, I'll eat a few more bites & check in again. This might help you at your busy family dinner table. Barnee > > This morning on the radio they had on the news about a > new study. They found that people who are overweight are 60-70 > percent (I forget the actual figure) more likely to have overweight > friends. They then went on to say that obesity is " socially > contagious. " > > > > That's a great way for society to accept fat people. Tell them > it's contagious. > > > > R > > > > --------------------------------- > > Ask a question on any topic and get answers from real people. Go > to Yahoo! Answers. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not > web links. > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Get the free Yahoo! toolbar and rest assured with the added security of spyware protection. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Hi everyone - While I understand ( & agree with) the point many of us are making about being "influenced" by what others around us eat, the results of this study said that obesity was CONTAGIOUS. As in, if I know you, I will get fat. The other list I'm on (fatstudies) has had quite a thorough discussion of the methodology and validity of this study and it's total crap. They used an inappropriate, corrupted database, they showed causality where there was only correlation (like what we are agreeing with) and their conclusion was that people should avoid fat people if they didn't want to become obese! Think of the implications for children who are overweight, think of the job discrimination that will be acceptable and there is documented evidence of children being taken away from their parents because they are considered abused because they are fat (the kids). This is why this study scares me and deserves closer reading and analysis - it's flawed and promotes fat hatred and intolerance. All the things we need to guard against in our search for self-acceptance and mindful living. Thanks for letting me speak my piece - Peace, CW Luggage? GPS? Comic books? Check out fitting gifts for grads at Yahoo! Search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 In the story about the study I read (on yahoo or something), it emphasized that they are not saying you should ditch your fat friends. What I personally get out of it is that I should endeavor to concentrate on my own hunger, appetites, and fullness when I am eating with others, instead of passively eating what/when/how they eat. I would hope that they are doing the same for themselves. It's also nice to have friends with whom I can be active, and I'm usually trying to find fun things to do that don't always revolve around eating. I don't try to avoid people who are overweight/obese, but I do try to avoid people who are always talking negatively about their bodies, diets, and habits. That is probably the most " contagious " of anything. They used an inappropriate, corrupted database, they showed causality where there was only correlation (like what we are agreeing with) and their conclusion was that people should avoid fat people if they didn't want to become obese! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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