You may have always sensed that your friends can help shape your attitudes and your actions. Now, it turns out that friends can also have a significant impact on your weight. In fact, a study published in the July 26th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine states that if you have a close friend who’s obese, it can increase your chances of obesity by 57%.* To put it simply, obesity can be socially contagious. Families and spouses are influential, too, but their impact on your weight gain isn’t as significant as your friends’ influence.
Depending on the people you see when you look around you, this could seem like a pretty depressing study. But the research also offers hope. That same study shows that when a person begins losing weight, it has an impact, too—a decidedly positive influence on friends and family.
If you’re losing weight with NutriSystem, this means every pound you’re losing is having a ripple effect through your circle of friends, whether or not you’re even aware of it. With all this in mind, here are five ways you can help get your circle of friends on the path to a healthier lifestyle:
1. Spread the news. If you’re one of those people who tends to keep your weight loss success to yourself, maybe it’s time to be a little more open about your decision to lose weight and your choice of a weight loss program—especially if you’re successful on your program. Instead of being low-key about what you’re doing, why not talk openly with your friends? That way, they can support you on your journey, and you’ll start that weight-loss ripple effect with the people you care about.
2. Suggest an activity alternative. Most people are pressed for time, and it’s not unusual for friends to meet and talk over lunches or dinners. But next time you and your friends want to get together, why not suggest an alternative to eating out? Plan a walk together, or get tickets to a game. See a movie, go to an exhibition; check out area open houses, garden or history tours. Take a friend shopping with you (it’s great to have an objective assessment of what you’re trying on). Head to a neighborhood coffee or teahouse and sample the newest blends. In other words, think of anything you enjoy besides eating, and get your friend involved, too.
3. Become an organizer. It’s easier to accomplish your weight loss goals if you’ve got a plan; that’s true whether losing weight is an individual or a group effort. If one or more of your friends is interested in losing weight, schedule a regular get-together, an informal meeting where you can exchange tips, talk about your progress (or your setbacks), celebrate your accomplishments and generally have fun. You could also arrange a group walk for a charity or cause of your choice.
4. Arrange a group weight loss challenge. Sticking with a weight loss program somehow seems easier if you’re not on your own. So form a one-on-one buddy system with your friends. You can set times for regular check-ins (by phone or in person). This will really help you during the intervals between your group gatherings. In addition, you and your friends can set up a weight loss incentive program—either a day at the spa or a ticket to an upcoming game—for the person in your group who either loses the most weight or reaches goal first.
5. Schedule a “B & A” photo shoot. When you start your program, get out the cameras, and invite your friend or friends over for a “before” photo shoot. These before pictures can be a powerful incentive for beginning or sustaining a weight loss program, and, in time, they are visual evidence of just how far you’ve come.
Since a lot of people are camera-shy, the key to an informal photo shoot is making it fun and completely safe and non-judgmental. Take both group and individual pictures, and be sure you save them all, either in print or on disk. Then get together again when you’re halfway to goal, and once you’ve reached goal, to take “after” photos. You may even want to make a commemorative album when you’ve all reached your goal weights. The side-by-side shots of your weight loss journey will be priceless!