Nicholas Christakis is Professor of Medicine, Health Care Policy, and Sociology at Harvard University and studies social networks and how they are formed.

 

If you think about it, his hypothesis probably makes sense. We know that obesity is liked to social status and poverty. The less well educated you are, the more you’re likely to be poor and the more you’re going to shop in the middle of the supermarket. It costs money to eat well, especially if you can’t grow your own food.

 

In western countries today, the production of junk food is often supported through subsidies to commodity farmers and that’s not helping poor people make the right kind of choices.

 

There may be other factors that link overweight people together - have you any ideas of your own? Add them into the comments below.