据说肥胖会传染，那我们是不是该离胖子远一点

A new study found that obesity, like the flu, can spread between friends and neighbors that you’re in close proximity to.

一项最新研究发现，肥胖也会像流感一样，在你和亲近的朋友、邻居之间传染。

The research was done by the scientists at the University of Southern California and the Rand Corporation. Their goal was to see if behaviors and beliefs could be spread just like any other pathogen, Newsweek reports.

据《新闻周刊》报道，这项研究是由南加州大学和兰德公司的科学家合作进行的。他们的目的是研究人的行为和信仰是否能像病菌一样在人群中传染。

For the study, the group looked at adolescents and parents living in 12 different military bases. Parents and children that lived in areas with a higher obesity rating were, in general, more likely to be obese themselves. The longer they lived in the community, the greater that risk was.

研究人员观察了居住在12个不同的军事基地中的青少年及其父母。结果发现，居住在肥胖率较高地区的青少年及其父母，他们自身也更容易变得肥胖。而且他们在肥胖社区住得越久，肥胖的风险就越高。

That doesn’t mean you’re going to “catch” obesity like the common flu. The idea behind the study is that living in a community where fast food is a normal dinner or people tend to watch TV at night rather than take a stroll around the block lends itself to other residents doing the same.

这并不是真的说你会像得流感一样“感染”上肥胖症。而是说如果在某个社区，吃快餐成为一种日常现象，或者大家晚上都爱待在家里看电视，而不是出门散步，那么这种习惯很容易就会影响社区的其他居民。

The study advances research from 2007 that found a connection between weight gain and our relationships with others. For instance, friends and family that are the same sex are more likely to gain weight together than those of an opposite sex. More than 70% of Americans are currently considered overweight or obese.

通过梳理2007年以来的研究，科学家还发现，肥胖也和我们与其他人的关系有关。比如家庭中的同性成员更容易一起发胖，比如父亲和儿子、母亲和女儿等等。目前有70%以上的美国人都属于体重超标或肥胖之列。