Christakis & Fowler - The spread of obesity in a large social network over 32 years

Arguments

• Analyses the spread of obesity as a factor of person-to-person interactions

• Results:

  • Obesity spreads through social ties; you have increased chances of becoming obese when:

    • You have a friend who became obese

    • You have a sibling who became obese

    • Your spouse became obese

  • Obesity doesn’t spread through immediate geographic location

  • People of the same sex have more obesity influence on each other

• Future recommendations:

  • Network phenomena might be exploited to spread positive health behaviours through social ties (ex: to slow the spread of obesity)