Health Report: Under the Influence
Psychologists say we can also be 'infected' by
the lifestyle habits of friends, colleagues and even people we have
never met. Nicola Gill explains the new theories of social networks
that affect our well-being.
When happy singleton Marcia Stanford was bridesmaid
at her best friend Sally's wedding to James two summers ago,
she knew their friendship would change.
"We used to meet at a
Wednesday night yoga class," she recalls, "but that
became once or twice a month as Sally would persuade me to go over
for a big home-cooked dinner and film with James instead. When we
met up with the girls for a night out, I noticed Sally would order
steak in a creamy sauce rather than the healthier fish option she
would have chosen before. She said life was too short not to enjoy
herself!"
So Marcia, who wore a petite size 10 bridesmaids dress at Sally's wedding, and who had always been the same build as her slim best friend, wasn't surprised when she shopped with Sally for a size 14 dress to celebrate her second wedding anniversary. But while Marcia had expected life to change for her newly married friend there was one change she hadn't expected. "It wasn't just Sally who put on weight - I did too. Even though Sally was the married one enjoying all the comforts of a contented home life, my waistline seemed to expand to match hers. I just don't get it, and I'd like my size 10 figure back please!"
But Marcia's new curves are no surprise to esteemed social
scientist and Harvard professor Dr Nicholas Christakis. A professor
of political science at the University of California, San Diego, he
has co-authored a new book with his colleague James Fowler -
Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They
Shape Our Lives (Harper Press, £12.99). In it he coins the
phrase 'social contagion' to explain the phenomena of
infectious behaviour which "spreads like a virus through our
social networks," made up of family members, friends,
colleagues and even people they know who we have never met.
"People affect each other in ways they would not necessarily
expect," he says. "We don't only copy our friends, we
copy our friends' friends, and their friends in what
sociologists have called hyperdyadic spread."
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