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Quote by: ZNFYRH  I understand the use of "contagious" in all those contexts.
Regardless, there is a first time to engage in the addictive behavior.
I think calling obesity contagious is being confused with overeating being addictive. |
Overeating can be addictive but that's not the only possible reason somebody might do it. The only thing this study shows is that obesity tends to travel through social interaction. Yes there are some factors that can prevent this like being conscious of health and weight but there ARE some people that don't have that.
If it doesn't happen to you, then you have the tools necessary, call it your social immune system, to keep it from happening. Some people don't have these social antibodies and gain weight when they hang around heavier people. Some people's social immune system fails them in regards to weight gain only when their wife is pregnant. This is still a cause and effect relationship and just because you "chose" to eat more doesn't nullify that.
Just because it is a person's "choice" to eat or not eat absolutely does not change the fact that behaviors travel through generations and laterally through the population in much the same way germs, healthy lifestyle choices and memes do.
The best thing to do is identify that this relationship exists and do what we can to build the social immune systems of others.
It's not that difficult
It seems that a lot of people don't like this study because they think people will use it to "blame" their obesity on other people. Some might but that's not valid.