Obesity is "Socially Contagious" According to New England Journal Medicine Study

According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, it turns out that hanging around people who don't workout and don't watch what they eat creates a higher likelihood that you would be obese...

Interesting news that actually supports what Beachbody and the Million Dollar Body community is all about... We could make a big deal about this for ourselves. We could celebrate this as incredible validation of the importance of belonging to our club and our community. And to a degree, this study is valuable to people who wonder why the club matters to so many thousands of customers.

But ultimately, it also can take your eye off the ball. Because we are not a product of environments as much as we are a product of our own choices, at the individual level. This study really underscores the importance of a person's own accountability to live in a way that enhances life with every decision. If you want an outcome that will serve your health and happiness, it is your responsibility to make certain choices. Your friends can sway your inclinations, but you are the person that chooses to "push play" or to eat portions that support your goals.


Don't want to be obese? You need to make choices that enhance your body's metabolism and ability to stay lean.


Want to have more energy? You need to make choices which enhance your ability to be energetic.


Want to live a life with less stress? You need to make choices which enhance your ability to stay relaxed.


I can remember in grade school when all the kids were investigate smoking. My choice not to participate helped me avoid that trap. I'm proud of that choice. It had nothing to do with my surroundings. It was my choice.

That doesn't mean I hit all the marks I want. I have a lot I want to improve and achieve. Whenever I get into the "blame game", frustrated by my own progress toward goals I've set, I spend time assessing and readdressing the achievement of my "dreams" and make sure I don't overlook the basic decisions that undermine my ability to achieve them. Usually there is ego involved in self-defeating decisions. But at the root of it, I don't need a study to help me blame something outside of my decisions for the outcome. I just need to look at my own decisions.

So, yes, it is exciting that there is a study validating that I will tend to create a life like the people I associate with. But at the end of the day, what REALLY matters is whether I am truly accountable to my own choices; and knowing that there are ALWAYS consequences from my choices. Whether we are fit or not, ultimately the people around us get neither the blame or the credit. The accountability is our own.