Researchers have just offered evidence in a
study that says obesity appears to spread through social ties, much like a
virus. When one person gains weight, their close friends often follow, but the
finding might also offer hope.
If friends help make obesity acceptable, then
might also be influential in losing the fat. The researchers note that
support groups are already an effective tool in dealing with other socially
influenced problems, like alcoholism.
The findings appeared in the New England
Journal of Medicine, The researchers used information collected from 12,000
people. It was collected between 1971 and 2003 as part of the Framingham Heart
Study.
The information was highly detailed. There
was even contact information for
close friends of the people in the study.
The researchers examined more than 40,000
social ties. They found that a person’s chances of becoming severely overweight
increased by 57% if a
friend had
become obese.
Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School was a lead investigator in the study. He says there is a direct causal
relationship between a person getting fat and being followed in weight gain by
a friend.
The study found that the sex of the friends
was also an influence. In same-sex friendships, a person had a 70% increased
risk of becoming obese. Men had a 44% increased risk of becoming obese after
weight gain in brothers. In sisters, it was 67%. Between husbands and wives, it
was a little less than 40%.
The researchers also considered the effect
of where people lived in relation to each other. James Fowler of the University
of California, San Diego, was the other lead investigator. He says a friend who
lives a few hundred kilometers away has as much influence as one in the same
neighborhood. He says the study demonstrates the need to consider that a major
part of people’s health is tied to their social connections.
Both investigators say their research shows
that obesity is not just a private medical issue, but a public health problem.
1.What
does the underlined sentence in Para2.mean?
A. Obesity has a negative influence on a
close friend.
B. Friends might also play a part in losing
weight.
C. One might have a positive influence on
one’s friend.
D. Friends usually don’t follow each other
to lose weight.
2.Who is
mostly likely to gain weight?
A. A man who has a fat
brother.
B. A husband who has a fat wife.
C. A wife who has a fat husband.
D. A woman who a fat female friend.
3.Which
of the following statements doesn’t the passage agree with?
A. You are sure to lose weight if you have a
skinny friend.
B. If one gains weight, one’s friends are
likely to get fat.
C. A person’s health is closely linked with
his /her social relationship.
D. Even if the friend lives far away, the
influence still remains.
4.The
reason why the study involves both family members and friends is that _____.
A. researchers fail to find a more different
sample
B. researchers have different ideas for
family members and friends
C. researchers can meet these people
regularly
D. researchers can compare the results