Fat is a social thing?

A new long-term study released yesterday finds that if you have obese friends, it increases your change of being obese.

People were most likely to become obese when a friend became obese. That increased a person’s chances of becoming obese by 57 percent...On average, the investigators said, their rough calculations show that a person who became obese gained 17 pounds, and the newly obese person’s friend gained 5.

Other researchers cautioned that due to the unique data set, it may be impossible to replicate the study's findings, a key step in scientific verification. Other obesity researchers also warned against jumping to conclusions, since obesity has many environmental causes. However, any kind of exercise is good for your health...

Huzzah! A new reader!

Some of my recent posts on energy and gas prices actually attracted a reader or two outside my social circle! Not only did these folks find my article interesting, they were also interested in "exchanging links." This means that we each have a link to the other's blog on our pages, which helps more people find our insightful ramblings (we hope).

The first to be profiled is It's So Obvious, a blog by garagejazz that covers three of my favorite topics: politics, energy and jazz (perhaps not exactly in that order). His posts on energy tend to be more in-depth than mine, such as yesterday's look at the Energy Information Administration's release of petroleum stocks and its potential impact on prices. He's got a left-of-center perspective, which also doesn't hurt. Check out his blog at http://garagejazz.blogspot.com/ - highly recommended.

I'll profile my second liaison soon, and add his link to the homepage.