Comments on: Obesity as social contagion http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/cornell-info204/2008/01/30/obesity-as-social-contagion/ This is a supplemental blog for a course which will cover how the social, technological, and natural worlds are connected, and how the study of networks sheds light on these connections. Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:24:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Cornell Info 204 Digest » Blog Archive » Networks Digest Blog: A first post for Spring 2008 http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/cornell-info204/2008/01/30/obesity-as-social-contagion/#comment-459 Cornell Info 204 Digest » Blog Archive » Networks Digest Blog: A first post for Spring 2008 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:22:03 +0000 http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/cornell-info204/2008/01/30/obesity-as-social-contagion/#comment-459 [...] half of the class. In particular, pmd8 talks about a widely-read study from this past summer on how obesity is “socially contagious” — although you don’t “catch” obesity from your friends in an [...] […] half of the class. In particular, pmd8 talks about a widely-read study from this past summer on how obesity is “socially contagious” — although you don’t “catch” obesity from your friends in an […]

]]> By: lepidoptera http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/cornell-info204/2008/01/30/obesity-as-social-contagion/#comment-448 lepidoptera Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:02:48 +0000 http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/cornell-info204/2008/01/30/obesity-as-social-contagion/#comment-448 It's interesting that obese people are found at the center of social networks (this is remarked upon at the very end of the animation). It seems to fly in the face of conventional wisdom that obesity means social isolation. If we were in the EEA (Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness) I would suggest that more connected people would have greater access to food. Of course, it is fairly easy for people to obtain food nowadays; but perhaps a connection still exists. It’s interesting that obese people are found at the center of social networks (this is remarked upon at the very end of the animation). It seems to fly in the face of conventional wisdom that obesity means social isolation.

If we were in the EEA (Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness) I would suggest that more connected people would have greater access to food. Of course, it is fairly easy for people to obtain food nowadays; but perhaps a connection still exists.

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