Is Obesity Contagious Like The Flu? New Study Suggests That Might Be The Case
A study finds that if a person's friend, sibling or spouse became obese in a certain period of time, the chances that he or she would become obese as well increased by 37 percent to 57 percent.
Los Angeles Times:
Military Families Bolster The Case That Obesity Is Indeed Contagious
Members of the military serve their country in myriad ways. That includes helping researchers figure out whether obesity is a contagious disease. A new study involving thousands of military families suggests that the answer is yes. The idea that fatness can spread like chicken pox or the flu may sound downright crazy. But how else do you explain the fact that families assigned to Army bases in communities with higher rates of obesity were more likely to be overweight or obese compared with families sent to bases where excess pounds were less common? (Kaplan, 1/23)
In other public health news —
Los Angeles Times:
Less Smartphone Time Equals Happier Teenager, Study Suggests
A precipitous drop in the happiness, self-esteem and life satisfaction of American teens came as their ownership of smartphones rocketed from zero to 73% and they devoted an increasing share of their time online. Coincidence? New research suggests it is not. (Healy, 1/23)