N.A. Christakis and J.H. Fowler, "The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network Over 32 Years," New England Journal of Medicine 357(4): 370-379 (July 2007)
Wharton coursera MOOC brought me here too. I specialize in providing psychotherapy for people with eating disorders. I'm fascinated and grateful to find this video.
A 32 year study shows the propensity of #obesity to increase within close social networks, possibly influencing one another. I'd have to read the full paper but the graphical representation in this video is interesting though it DOES cause me to wonder what other factors they accounted for in this (or didn't account for) - for example, BMI can change with age or disease...
Professor Bell - cool concept of influence contagion. With respect to obesity (and to be fair, I have 30 pounds to lose), it's about SHAME! Fat people hang around fat people, and there is always someone fatter than they are, so they don't feel so bad, and are less aggressive about staying in shape. I am reminded every time I walk along Brickell Avenue in Miami where people are thin, muscular and in shape - to get my ass to the gym. Which I promptly do. Living in a Dallas, TX suburb, the shame factor is much less prevalent, in part due to a cluster of fat people. So... in conclusion on this amazing obesity influence cluster mumbo jumbo... if American society simply once again just promoted the 'shame effect,' we'd all be thinner, more productive, and wash our vehicles accordingly. Great class BTW!
Coursera brought me here, but this study is quite interesting. Can we then deduce from this that if an obese person becomes part of a network with non-obese persons, it will assist them in weight loss?
The reason behind why people with same BMI form social bond is that may be they have similar habits and it is shown that people with similar habits (eating, profession, etc) tend to live together or form closer bonds. So, fat people form bonds with fat people. But what is surprising to me is that sometimes, when higher BMI people form bond with lower BMI people, the higher ones attract lower ones in their group and the BMI of lower BMI people also increase and they become obese. I am not sure if that happens other way round very often that an obese person became slim after forming social bond with lower BMI person.
Abdul Wahid Khan That is what I am asking. How do we know the lower BMI people also increase and they become obese when forming social bonds with the higher BMI people? I don't see evidence for that in this analysis.
Alex Martelli I guess that its easier for people in general to catch up with bad habits instead of the opposite to happen when people with bad habits catch up with good habits.
Don't peope generally tend to become fatter as a function of time anyway? The older people get the more pounds they put on. That wouldn't explain the clustering, but social selection would: thin people might prefer to associate with thin people, they certainly date other thin people, and obese people generally don't have skinny spouses.
Vote-up if you're here from Coursera
Coursera brought me here......So many people are here from the coursera...Cool!!!
Wharton Marketing MOOC brought me here
Me too.
Me too Earl Powell
same here :)
Wharton coursera MOOC brought me here too. I specialize in providing psychotherapy for people with eating disorders. I'm fascinated and grateful to find this video.
Who here is in professor David Bells class at Wharton?
I'm here.
Me too. He only sent me to this link.
I like his teaching style did any of you get on a project with him?
***** Project as in? Does he take projects with students online?
His 899 class
A Leadership session, from the University of Exeter (batch of 2021), brought me here!!
What up David Bell
Coursera, thanks for bringing me to this video. Excellent concept.
coursera brings me here as well. always excited to learn some new stuff~~ happy to see so many fellow classmates here~~ cheers to all~
A 32 year study shows the propensity of #obesity to increase within close social networks, possibly influencing one another. I'd have to read the full paper but the graphical representation in this video is interesting though it DOES cause me to wonder what other factors they accounted for in this (or didn't account for) - for example, BMI can change with age or disease...
Coursera feelings
Another person here from Coursera. And this is an interesting study.
Very interesting. Food for thought.
Professor Bell - cool concept of influence contagion. With respect to obesity (and to be fair, I have 30 pounds to lose), it's about SHAME! Fat people hang around fat people, and there is always someone fatter than they are, so they don't feel so bad, and are less aggressive about staying in shape. I am reminded every time I walk along Brickell Avenue in Miami where people are thin, muscular and in shape - to get my ass to the gym. Which I promptly do. Living in a Dallas, TX suburb, the shame factor is much less prevalent, in part due to a cluster of fat people. So... in conclusion on this amazing obesity influence cluster mumbo jumbo... if American society simply once again just promoted the 'shame effect,' we'd all be thinner, more productive, and wash our vehicles accordingly. Great class BTW!
Coursera brought me here, but this study is quite interesting. Can we then deduce from this that if an obese person becomes part of a network with non-obese persons, it will assist them in weight loss?
Hi Judith, I surely believe so. I am actually working on a project to develop such a solution to fight obesity and reverse the trend
I wish you success because I definitely need such a solution.
Thank god this Coursera link is not too long to type.
Excellent paper
Correlation is not causation. How do we know that people do not form social bonds BECAUSE they have a similar BMI, and not the other way around?
The reason behind why people with same BMI form social bond is that may be they have similar habits and it is shown that people with similar habits (eating, profession, etc) tend to live together or form closer bonds. So, fat people form bonds with fat people.
But what is surprising to me is that sometimes, when higher BMI people form bond with lower BMI people, the higher ones attract lower ones in their group and the BMI of lower BMI people also increase and they become obese. I am not sure if that happens other way round very often that an obese person became slim after forming social bond with lower BMI person.
Abdul Wahid Khan That is what I am asking. How do we know the lower BMI people also increase and they become obese when forming social bonds with the higher BMI people? I don't see evidence for that in this analysis.
Alex Martelli I guess that its easier for people in general to catch up with bad habits instead of the opposite to happen when people with bad habits catch up with good habits.
Abdul Wahid Khan Sorry, but my question was about proof, not speculation
Hmm, Ok. :-)
"The entire network gets heavier over time." I see what you did there.
Dr. Bell's Wharton Coursera MOOC brought me here.
Fucking course guide brought me here
Don't peope generally tend to become fatter as a function of time anyway? The older people get the more pounds they put on. That wouldn't explain the clustering, but social selection would: thin people might prefer to associate with thin people, they certainly date other thin people, and obese people generally don't have skinny spouses.
Vote if you're here because of FernUniversität Hagen :D
We know that you are your network.
From coursera too. I'm colorblind, this is a waste of time. All too usual.
BS.