Bad Appetite

The social, psychological, and biological drivers of appetite.

by Susan Carnell, Ph.D.

Is obesity contagious?

By Susan Carnell, Ph.D. on March 15, 2009 in Bad Appetite

Ever heard the phrase ‘obesity epidemic' and thought it seemed a bit peculiar? Obesity's just about eating too much and exercising too little isn't it? Maybe not. Some people think fatness is genuinely contagious and there's evidence to show they might be right. Read More

this virus might exist but i

Submitted by Anonymous on March 16, 2009 - 1:58am.

this virus might exist but i guess it won't help if people started blaming it for their incorrect habits and life style

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Good habits are contagious too

Submitted by Anonymous on March 16, 2009 - 11:24am.

I am absolutely not a "health freak," I'm not always counting calories, and I go to the gym maybe twice per year. However, I've recently started losing a bit of weight because whenever I go to restaurants I will doggy-bag half my meal before I start eating (this slows down my consumption rate, and I know I won't overeat due to gynormous restaurant portions.) My boyfriend started to do the same, and now during more meals than not we've started splitting out meal. Needless to say, I still have my delicious fries, and we're both maintaining a healthy weight.

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Susan Carnell, Ph.D., is a research psychologist at the New York Obesity Research Center and Columbia University, where she studies what drives some people toward obesity.

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