BY PABLO GUERRERO AND JULIA PENDER



Introduction
uThe current epidemic of obesity is caused largely by an environment that promotes excessive food
intake and discourages physical activity.
uIncrease in obesity
uCannot be explained just by genetics
uAll socioeconomic groups
u
uSocial and environmental explanations
uWhereas obesity has been stigmatized in the past, attitudes may be changing.
uPeople are embedded in social networks and influenced by the appearance and behaviors of those
around them.
u It is plausible that areas of the brain that correspond to actions such as eating may be
stimulated if these actions are observed in others.
u

Obesity and Family History
u70% of adiposity in 10-year-olds is due to genetic factors, and approximately 20% is due to
socioenvironmental contributions.
u
uEating disinhibition, susceptibility to hunger, and eating in the absence of hunger all appear to
be biologically heritable traits.
u
u Thus, a child's family health history, along with shared behaviors and familial environments,
must be considered in efforts to prevent and treat obesity.
u

Overweight and social networks
uSocial network: structure of “reciprocally oriented and dependent people”
uMany studies have explored the risk of becoming overweight or obese according to the size and
density of people’s social networks.
uCharacteristics of people within a particular social group.
uRisk of overweight or obesity among network members.
uObesity might cluster within particular interpersonal relationships.
uLimited understanding about the ways in which such networks might shape the development of
overweight and obesity.
u
u
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Overweight and social networks
uPublic health: range of different forms of social capital that might influence health within
particular networks:
uPeople’s sense of belonging
uPractical and emotional support
uBehavioural norms
uTrust and co-operation
u
uSocial networking sites can influence weight by exposing people in the same social network to the
same information.
u
uEncouraging participation in health enhancing activities might also be more successful when more
homogenous groups are targeted as opposed to unconnected individuals.
u
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Communal coping
uProcess in which interpersonal relationships are the conduit to behavior change among multiple
members within a particular social network.
u
uIndividuals define themselves in terms of their interconnectedness and relationships with their
family, friends, neighbors, and community.
u
uWhen faced with a shared health problem, a cooperative approach may be particularly effective.
u
uHealth interventions can target 3 interpersonal pathways:
1.Communication about a health problem, such as shared risk factors
2.Shared appraisals of the problem
3.Development of cooperative strategies to reduce negative impact
u
u




uAspiring to the body size of others in one’s social network
u
uKrones et al. found that being around people that are thinner than average increased body weight
dissatisfaction amongst young American women.
uHruschka found evidence to indicate that friends’ body size has an influence on an individual’s
body weight ideals.
uBlanchflower et al. found that perceptions about overweight among Europeans were influenced by
comparisons with others and that educated individuals were more likely to rate themselves as
overweight, indicating that this group aspires to a thinner ideal.
uSense of belonging
uInvolvement in community organisations and public affairs, volunteerism, informal sociability, and
social trust were protective factors.
uOne of the ways in which sense of belonging might influence obesity is through a greater sense of
the value in protecting one’s health.  Similarly, a sense of being part of one’s community has been
associated with greater interest in physical activity.
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Social Contagion                Social Capital




Social Network Approaches to Strengthen Obesity Prevention
1) Intervene with the family system, rather than with the individual
2) Design support mechanisms on the basis of social ties within the community
3) Use peer networks to encourage increased physical activity

Multinational companies and their influence in Social Networks

uWho rules global food systems?             “Big Food” uMultinational food and beverage companies
with huge and concentrated market power. uMore than half of global soft drinks are produced by
large multinational companies, mainly Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. u The world's food system is an
oligopoly. What people eat is increasingly driven by a few multinational food companies.
u

Multinational companies and their influence in Social Networks
u
uAction requires tackling vested interests, especially the powerful Big Food companies with strong
ties to and influence over national governments.
u
u The influence of these Big Food companies can affect also Social Networks and interpersonal
relationships.
u
uContemporary advertising play an important role in promoting and sustaining consumer culture, and
if the product advertised is an unhealthy meal, it affects directly the epidemic spread of obesity.
u
uAdvertising functions as propaganda for consumption, especially in younger people.
u

Conclussion
uSocial networks are important to our understanding of obesity, but there has been limited
understanding about the ways.
u
uThree inter-related social processes appear to explain the role of social networks in the
development of overweight and obesity:
1.Social contagion (whereby the network in which people are embedded influences their weight over
time).
2.Social capital, (whereby sense of belonging and social support influence weight and weight
influencing behaviours).
3.Social selection (whereby a person’s network might develop according to his or her weight).
4.
uSense of belonging and Social support operate to influence behaviours within friends and family
networks and regional networks.

Bibiography
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10.1146/annurev.soc.34.040507.134601
2.
2.Christakis NA, Fowler JH, Christakis NA, Fowler JH. The spread of obesity in a large social
network over 32 years. N Engl J Med. 2007;357(4):370–9. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa066082.
3.
3.Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. Geneva (CH): World Health Organization;
2000.
4.
4.Koehly LM, Shivy VA. Social environments and social contexts: social network applications in
person environment psychology. Mahwah (NJ): Lawrence Erlbaum; 2000.
5.