Of everything I’ve read about this study, PastaQueen’s post today makes the most sense to me. No, fat isn’t contagious, but the ways of thinking (and behaving) that make you fat probably are. There was a time in my life, in college, when I rented a house with two overweight roommates (and a ferret, but that’s another story all together…).
Likely because we shared the same way of thinking, we thought nothing of ordering 2 large pizzas for the three of us, and polishing them off in one sitting. At the height of it all, I remember having a great fondness for ordering “bread sticks” — i.e. a sauceless pizza cut into strips — which we dipped into ranch dressing. (Now, the image evokes in me equal parts of fondness and nausea.)
So, I’m not looking to be judged for how I look or what I eat, and I certainly don’t want people avoiding me because I’m fat, but if I can put myself into situations where more “normal” thinking prevails, that will probably help me avoid fat-perpetuating behaviors. To be in an environment where my delicious fresh-tomato salad inspires delight, rather than dismissal. That’s the kind of world I need to create and inhabit. (Not only for me. For my kid, too. And other “fat” people are welcome.)