HHS HealthBeat (July 26, 2007)

Is obesity contagious?

Researcher James Fowler of the University of California, San Diego says the chance of you becoming obese go up if a friend becomes obese.

``If your friend – someone that you name as a friend – becomes obese, it increases your likelihood of becoming obese in the next two to four years by 57 percent.’’ (9 seconds)

Last revised: July, 26 2007