The “contagion effect” is a phenomenon that suggests that when we are considering appropriate social behavior, we look to the norms of our peer group, rather than our spouse or family.
This idea became very controversial when professors at Harvard Medical School and University of California published a study in 2007 that said that people who have fat friends are more likely to gain weight too. It should be noted that the contagion effect also works with weight loss, quitting smoking and happiness.
I think this is good news! Where else could the contagion effect produce better results than in a club? If you belong to a gym, you are surrounded by people with similar values and goals, which then become your social “norm.” In other words, if everyone else you know is doing something positive, why wouldn’t you?
We can and should be very concerned about the individuals who don’t join clubs and don’t have a social network that promotes health, but that’s a conversation for another time. In the meantime, we have a captive audience right under our noses.
We already have the contagion effect working in regard to exercise, don’t we? Most people who come to the gym have caught the workout “bug” and seemingly enjoy it. Well, “enjoy” may not always be the right word, but they are doing it anyway!
We have the opportunity to take advantage of a community where members who share close social ties to other members will imitate appropriate behavior. All we have to do is introduce the next healthy behavior: exercise and lifestyle nutrition.
We should be having regular discussions about healthy nutrition with as many members as possible. If actual discussion groups aren’t possible, then we could simply post signs suggesting that people be mindful of what they eat, and that they should also be consciously thinking about their personal health goals as they have their meals. This may help them refrain from overindulging.
I have heard some rather bizarre stories about members competing with each other as to how little they could eat and still exercise. Let’s hope that is not what is happening in your club’s social milieu. Also, some people really confuse a healthy diet with “dieting,” as in restricting calories and under-eating. I suppose that could be the opposite extreme. In that case, nutrition education should be pervasive throughout the club to correct those many misconceptions.
We need to try harder to create the perfect mix of education and demonstration for our social network. We can all do that by our personal example, now that we know that healthy living can be contagious!
Judith Samuels, M.A. is a certified nutrition and wellness consultant and master personal trainer at Sport&Health Clubs in the Washington D.C. Metro Area. She can be reached via e-mail at judi@judisamuels.com.
