The study showed obese people have the potential to create a ripple effect among their non-obese peers, Hill said. That’s because the more non-obese people an obese person comes into contact with, the greater the chance those people will become obese.

Hill and her colleagues based their findings on a model of obesity’s spread through social networks, which was similar to models used to trace the spread of infectious diseases like the flu.

Obesity rate to reach 42 percent, experts predict – Health – Diet and nutrition – msnbc.com

Fat Thanks to Eskinder K. for the tip!