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September 6, 2008 1:43:19 AM CDT

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Bad Habits: It's Who You Know

Posted May 26, 08 4:48 PM CDT in Science & Health 

(Newser) – If your friends all jumped off a bridge, you'd probably listen to your mom and not follow them, but how about if they started exercising? New research into social networks—in 3D, not on MySpace or Facebook—shows people are more likely to quit smoking or lose weight if someone close to them does likewise. The search for other applications is on, reports the Washington Post.

"It's sort of like an ant colony or a flock of birds," says one researcher. "A single bird doesn't decide to turn to the right or the left; the whole flock has mind of its own."

Source Washington Post

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A man has a cigarette at the bar of a restaurant in Baltimore in this January file photo.   (AP Photo/Rob Carr, FILE)
A large herd of sheep mill about in this file photo. The people we know strongly influence our decisions, the studies concluded.   (Shutterstock)
Two obese kids snack together.   (KRT Photos)
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social networking  • obesity  • public health  • smoking


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