" They argued this showed social factors, such as the body sizes of other people, were important in developing obesity. "

" Experts said the New England Journal of Medicine study was not conclusive as other hidden factors could be to blame. "

"People come to think that it is OK to be bigger since those around them are bigger"

" Researchers at Harvard Medical School and the University of California, in San Diego, looked at data collected over 32 years as part of a heart study. "

" Participants gave personal information, including their body mass index, and the names of friends who could be contacted. "

" And their analysis suggested that the links could not be solely attributed to similarities in lifestyle and environment, for example the impact of friends existed even where friends lived in different regions. "

"The statistics may be meaningful, but in real life this is not very helpful to people who are overweight"

" Author Professor Nicholas Christakis said: "It's not that obese or non-obese people simply find other similar people to hang out with. "

" "Rather, there is a direct, causal relationship. What appears to be happening is that a person becoming obese most likely causes a change of norms about what counts as an appropriate body size. "

" "People come to think that it is OK to be bigger since those around them are bigger, and this sensibility spreads." "

" Dr Richard Suzman, director of the National Institute of Aging's Behavioral and Social Research Programme, said the finding could have important implications. "

" He said: "This seminal study breaks important new ground in showing how social networks may amplify other factors and help account for
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