By: Keerthi Mohan
A person is more likely to be obese if he is surrounded by obese people, a new study has found. The study, conducted by the University of South California, examined 3140 military families and found that obesity was socially contagious, as families sent to counties with higher obesity rates were likely to be overweight than those placed in areas with lower obesity rates. “We were somewhat surprised,” explained Dr Ashlesha Datar. “Traditionally we think the built environment is what matters, or that people choose environments for a healthy lifestyle. But the findings show there’s still a strong relationship to the community.” In…
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