Friendship Curbs Kids Obesity Risk

BUFFALO, N.Y.Friends may influence how much adolescents eat, according to a new study from the University of Buffalo that found that decreasing sedentary behavior and increasing active leisure activities may require meaningful relationships with friends may help to promote active lifestyles.

The study involved 54 overweight and non-overweight youth24 boys and 30 girlsbetween the ages of 9 and 11. Each was assigned randomly to bring a friend or to be paired with an unfamiliar peer. Participants worked on a computer game to earn points exchangeable for food or time to spend with their friend or with an unfamiliar peer. In the study, participants matched with an unfamiliar peer showed that when working for food became difficult, they switched to earn time with the unfamiliar peer, and when working for peer activity became harder, they switched to earn food. However, participants assigned to the friend condition continued to work for time with their friends instead of working for food.

"Peer rejection and ostracism are obvious costs imposed on social interactions," wrote the researcher. "Even the unavailability of one's peers or friends can limit youth's access to social settings and situations. As a result, children may choose to engage in eating and sedentary activities when social alternatives are unavailable. There is emerging evidence that a youth's social network may be uniquely relevant and influential to eating behavior and choice of activities.