A "Friendly" Way to Lose Weight

By Jon Herring

Two months ago [Nov. 2006], several women who work here at Early to Rise signed up with a gym near our office. Not surprisingly, the main fitness goal they shared was to lose weight. And to achieve that goal, they agreed to visit the gym together on a regular basis. They have upheld that promise, and the results have been terrific.

Had they tried to achieve this goal on their own, they probably wouldn’t have managed to maintain the same level of commitment. Not only has that been my own experience, but numerous studies prove that social support is one of the most important factors in successful weight loss.

In one such study at Brown University School of Medicine, a group of overweight men and women were scheduled to attend group exercise sessions for the purpose of weight loss. They were encouraged to bring as many as three support partners who would also participate.

What the researchers discovered is that the number of support partners each participant had didn’t matter, but the success of those partners mattered a great deal. They found that each test subject’s weight loss after six, 12, and 18 months was closely associated with the weight loss success of their exercise partners. They also found that those with successful partners lost significantly more weight than those with no partners or no successful partners.

So if one of your resolutions for 2007 [or current year] is to lose weight (isn’t it always?), find a friend or a family member who will join you in making a strong commitment to eat better and exercise. You will both enjoy a greater probability of success. Better yet, add a professional weight loss advisor, personal trainer, or nutritionist to the mix. It will give you even more accountability.

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This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1932, 01-06-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.