Your Friends Are Making You Fat

It's Not About Willpower

There's a famous study from the New England Journal of Medicine that found obesity spreads through social networks. If your close friend becomes obese, your own risk increases by 57%. Not because of genetics. Because of behaviour.

Your eating habits, your activity levels, your relationship with alcohol. All of it is heavily influenced by the people you spend the most time with.

How It Works

You go out with mates. Everyone orders a burger and a pint. You were planning to get the salmon. But you don't want to be that guy. So you order the burger. This happens twice a week. Over a year, those extra calories add up to several kilos.

Or you tell your friends you're going to the gym tomorrow morning. They laugh. "Why bother? Just come to the pub." So you go to the pub.

This isn't weakness. It's human nature. We mirror the behaviour of our social group. Always have.

What to Do About It

I'm not saying ditch your friends. But I am saying be aware of the influence they have. And consider adding people to your life who share your health values.

1. Find a training partner or join a gym community

2. Follow people online who reflect where you want to be

3. Set boundaries around social eating (one night out, not three)

4. Don't apologise for ordering the healthier option

The Upgrade

The fastest way to change your habits is to change your environment. I noticed this when I started spending more time around people who trained consistently. Their habits rubbed off on me. Eating well became normal. Training became the default.

You become the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Choose carefully.