Results trump charisma when it comes to convincing friends to try a wellness programme, according to a new study. This means that if a friend finds success with a new diet or exercise program, there’s a good chance you’ll try it, too. “People want to see that positive influence,” says Lora Cavuoto, assistant professor in the department of industrial and systems engineering in the University at Buffalo School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
“Understanding how social influence affects people’s participation in health programmes can lead to better-designed wellness interventions.” Countless diets and weight-loss programmes exist to combat the high rate of obesity among Americans, but they do little good if people don’t adopt them. Cavuoto’s research could help diet and exercise programs reach more people by advising marketers on which people to target as endorsers.
Simulating friend groups
The study simulated the behaviour of fictional people created using combinations of physical attributes and personality traits, such as the ability to lose weight and a high or low body mass index. The model distributed traits based on national population averages. Based on the simulations, people in social networks linked to someone who successfully lost weight or had a high body mass index produced the largest total weight loss among peers. The networks surrounding a person with a high number of friends — those who were more charismatic or popular — produced lower weight-loss totals.
Cavuoto’s results support the new approach many weight-loss programmes have taken in attracting new participants: Celebrity endorsers with a large reach have taken a backseat to everyday people who benefit from a new diet or workout. “Your ties and social contacts may have a bigger effect because you see them every day and you have that close connection,” says Cavuoto. “If they can be successful, then that’s your best way of getting information out that a program is good.
— Source: www.futurity.org
