IS FAT CONTAGIOUS?
By Makeisha Lee
Health and Nutrition Consultant
www.CleanseFormula.com and
www.GuideToCleansing.com
Flu and cold season may have met
their match when it comes to being
contagious, but fat is on the “attack”
all year long! A new study published
in the 2007 New England Journal of
Medicine (NEJM) suggests that “obesity is contagious.” Conceivably,
we may “catch” obesity from those around us. Further research suggests that we’re three times more likely to be overweight today than we
were a decade ago, and that 75 percent of us will be obese by 2015.
Participants were tracked from 1971-2003 by two scientists who analyzed the health data of 12,000 people who were part of the
Framingham Heart Study, (an ongoing cardiovascular study). Then
they all provided contact information for friends, which resulted in a
total study group of more than 38,000 people. The goal was to find the
relationship between an individual’s family, close friends, and social
network and his/her health. The results indicated that all peers, not just
family, had a dramatic effect on an individual’s fitness.
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The Christian Reader September 2008
What is the bottom line? All in all, many other stats were published, but
the final analysis was the huge link between friends. Statistically, the
closer the relationship, the greater the chances became that the friends’
fitness conditions would be similar. People are starting to feel that
being obese is okay since those around them are bigger. At the end of
the day, this reasoning and mentality combined with certain destructive
behavior spreads.
Unfortunately, no genius has come up with a vaccine to prevent the
spread of fat. However, there are several safe and healthy antidotes to
protect your self and/or reverse the fat attack trend.
Step 1 – Examine your close associates. If they are not fit and healthy,
then you need to be the leader in the pack and take action on getting fitto-fight fat!
Step 2 – Educate yourself on not only how to lose fat, but how to truly
live a healthy, fit life.
Step 3 – Get involved with the many networking/support groups that
provide weight loss success. The power of accountability is incomparable!
Don’t wait until fat strikes...get protected!
Makeisha Lee is a health and nutrition consultant. She is also the
author of “Why Black People Can’t Lose Weight” available at
www.WhyBlackPeopleCantLoseWeight.com and in bookstores
nationwide. For more info about her company visit
www.CleanseFormula.com
You Can Make A Difference
Vote November 4th
904. 866.6394