Obesity is a virus (get rid of your fat friends)

New York Times ^ | July 26, 2007 | GINA KOLATA

[psycho3lf]

Obesity can spread from person to person, much like a virus, researchers are reporting today. When one person gains weight, close friends tend to gain weight, too. [snip] The investigators say their findings can help explain why Americans have become fatter in recent years — each person who became obese was likely to drag along some friends. [snip] It may also mean that the way to avoid becoming fat is to avoid having fat friends.

[psycho3lf]

I like Russ Robert's comment on this: "If you have a fat friend, the two of you need to befriend a thin one. Or maybe two thin ones. After all, you risk exposing the new thin friend to the 'virus.' Obviously this is too risky. We need to quarantine fat people to protect the rest of us from the 'epidemic.'"

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

The Star Tribune ran this piece a couple of days ago and the local talkers just ripped it to shreds.

But, with this prediction: Not too far down the road, government involvement in weight control. Sort of like how the left wants everybody to live at the same economic level through redistribution of wealth, they’ll find a way to make sure that everybody has the same body shape.

I’m not kidding.....

[bannie]

I'll be so looooonely....

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

This is just more 'blame something other than yourself' trash.

Great parentheses comment in the title, though.

[Man50D]

From now on everyone in the country is my friend and I’m suing all the fat ones! ;O)

[Pontiac]

The investigators say their findings can help explain why Americans have become fatter in recent years — each person who became obese was likely to drag along some friends.

Actually I find this very plausible.

Friends tend to go place and do things together. They will go to restaurants together and will share gossip about which restaurants they like or do not like. If they visit each other’s homes they will always have the snacks that the other likes.

The ancient rules of Hospitality in our culture of friendship will encourage feeding our friends and accept food when our friends offer it.

[netmilsmom]

I’ll be your friend.
Trust me, if this article were true, my hubby would be overweight. And my kids.

We’ll go see “Hairspray” together. Do you sing?

[bannie]

I can't sing at all...may I still be your friend?

[SunkenCiv]

Let ‘em explain Laurel and Hardy, or Abbott and Costello, or Gleason and Carney, or the rest of the cast of Seinfeld and Jason Alexander, or...

[Right Wing Assault]

These folks need to learn the PR techniques of the AIDS people. They can hog up a whole bunch of research money to work on this ‘virus’ while continuing to spread it promiscuously.