We’ve all heard that surrounding yourself with good friends leads to a happier life, but what if we told you it could also lead to reaching your weight and training goals? A new study by Vanderbilt University researchers is claiming just that, but only if you are a woman.
According to the study, the socioeconomic status of the people you surround yourself with has an impact on an individual’s weight. In a nutshell, people with a network of educated friends are more likely to describe themselves as athletic, which translates to lower body weight. However, there’s one caveat–it’s only true for women.
One of the researchers, Lijun Song says, “Arguably people with higher status are more weight-conscious, they’re more concerned about their own body image, they’re more likely to practice weight-related lifestyle such as dietary habits and physical activities and control their weight. And if you are surrounded by people like that, you’re exposed to a stronger network norm of weight control. You’re more likely to become more conscious of your body weight, more likely to receive assistance with weight management, and are more likely to observe and imitate weight-control behaviors.”
