Friends may have our backs, but their health and fitness habits can literally shape our backsides. How do friends help—or hurt—your healthy habits? Learn more from Martina M. Cartwright, PhD, RD, adjunct faculty member at the University of Arizona, independent biomedical consultant, author and nutrition counselor in Scottsdale, Arizona.
When Dietary Awareness Is Out to Lunch
The desire to copy people close to us is thought to enhance bonding and act as a social superglue (Lakin 2003). When we mimic each other’s eating behaviors, we form positive, subconscious bonds with our dining companions. What people do, rather than what they think, may be why obesity flourishes among friends.
The average person makes over 200 food decisions every day (Wansink 2006). Deciding what and where to eat are just two pieces of the dining puzzle—the other is with whom. Commiserating with pals or engaging in animated conversation over a tasty meal is often good therapy, but it can lead to distracted dining. Focusing on the conversation rather than the food often results in overeating (Hetherington 2006; Wansink 2006). Also, those who eat together subconsciously model each other’s eating styles. Normally light eaters consume more when munching with a group, while heavier eaters eat less when dining with companions (Bell & Pliner 2003). If you want to lose weight, you may find it easier if you hang out with friends who eat healthfully and exercise.
Hitting the Gym With a Friend
Motivating yourself to exercise can be challenging. Did you know that nonexercisers are more likely to get moving and stick with activity programs if supportive friends are involved? As a whole, social influence is positively associated with exercise behaviors, intentions and attitudes. Gabriele et al. (2005) explored social encouragement, which focused on positive reinforcement and statements such as “people important to me encourage me to exercise.” Positive social encouragement like this improved exercise motivation, but social constraint or negative reinforcement reflected in statements like “people will be disappointed in me if I quit exercising” were not helpful. Surrounding yourself with positive pals may keep you moving in the right direction.
SIDEBAR: Workplace Weight Gain
The workplace can be a minefield for people trying to shed pounds. Desktop candy jars and office celebrations provide a steady stream of sugary indulgence that can sabotage the most strident dieter’s efforts.
While coffee breaks and corporate parties can foster camaraderie, they entice mindless eating. Here are a few tips for taming workplace temptation:
Put a lid on goodies. Covering them with foil or a lid will curb mindless munching (Wansink 2006).
View the veggies: Leave these uncovered to promote healthier grazing.
When dining with a co-worker, split large portions.
Socialize and celebrate without food.
Limit happy-hour drinks/alcohol.
Avoid desktop dining.
Limit the “office feeder” influence.
Set an example: Bring in healthier snacks like fresh fruit, and replace the candy with dried fruit or nuts.
Support co-workers who are trying to lose weight.
References
Bell, R., & Pliner, P.L. 2003. Time to eat: The relationship between the number of people eating and meal duration in three lunch settings. Appetite, 41 (2), 215–18.
Gabriele, J.M., et al. 2005. Differentiated roles of social encouragement and social constraint on physical activity behavior. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 29 (3), 210–15.
Hetherington, M.M., et al. 2006. Situational effects on meal intake: A comparison of eating alone and eating with others. Physiology & Behavior, 88 (4-5), 498–505.
Lakin, J.L., et al. 2003. The chameleon effect as social glue: Evidence for the evolutionary significance of nonconscious mimicry. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 27 (3), 145–62.
Wansink, B. 2006. Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. New York: Bantam.
Fitness. Energy. In Motion 
Great tips to help keep in shape and motivated. The weekends are always the first test to forget about your goals and let go. We should have fun, but not lose sight of what we are trying to accomplish.
Agreed! I always try to push and do more than what’s expected of me during the week, that way if all fails during the weekend it wouldn’t be such a blow to my confidence.
Then again as individuals our persistence and confidence can be effected differently. Succeeding through the tests of willpower can only make you that much aware of the person you can be.
Sacrificing some weekends and replacing that pleasure by celebrating my body and wellness allows me to know what I am truly made of and inspires me to keep on truckin
Thanks for the comment bro, keep up the strong work.
Thank you for the great article mrkinetic! Social influence is a powerful one that can either accelerate someones results or hinder it significantly. We need to take advantage of this and look at it when someone is not making the progress they would like to. It is great to see more research on this!
even the best intentioned friends will fail you. After all, they have struggles of their own.
It all boils down to self discipline, self determination, and will power. In the end YOU are responsible for you decisions and actions, and true friends will never turn thier cheek when progress and success is being made.
Thank you for your words.