Ronald McDonald has America’s pudgy neck in a headlock. He continues to stymie public health efforts by helping America keep its heavyweight crown of being heavy.
But there is a solution to combat Ron’s obesity-promoting ways: peer pressure for healthy living.
Peer pressure works. People have used it to help others quit smoking and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adult smoking rates have been halved in the past 40 years.
I have seen friends approach strangers and lecture them about smoking. It is less acceptable to approach people and say, “Hey fatty, hit the gym.”
So maybe peer pressure is too strong a phrase — let us call it a nudge in the right direction, with an emphasis on right. It does not apply to normal- or under-weight people, who can fall prey to a false assumption that skinnier is always better.
But for those like me with a body mass index above 25, you may feel guilty when a friend orders a salad or goes for a run. It’s not rude of them, but it is still motivating.
If you still don’t believe me, consider the “Take the Stairs” signs in the library. They are there because evidence indicates that such signs increase the number of people who opt for the stairs over a ride with Cherie Berry (North Carolina’s lovely commissioner of labor whose welcoming smile graces all elevators).
A clinical trial published this month in The Lancet shows that Weight Watchers, which includes regular weigh-ins and motivational support, helps shed more pounds than occasional visits with doctors for standard counseling. Among other factors, the regular motivation from Weight Watchers staff seems effective.
But this is not meant to diminish the task at hand. Losing weight is ridiculously hard and no one chooses to be overweight.
