NEW YORK --  I am sure you’re well aware of the things that can make it difficult to keep the weight off. 

A sedentary lifestyle and a diet high in fat and sugar are two major culprits, but according to a recent Johns Hopkins study, you might want to add your friends to the list. 

A recent study looked at people and their lifestyle habits including their weight and exercise habits and it concluded that those who are overweight or obese tend to spend a great deal of time together and engage in similar behaviors. Although this may sound like a generalization to some, it’s worth checking in to. 

Advertisements that we hear are carefully designed to alter our behavior, but our friends can as well. 

According to the researchers, if a friend is gaining weight to says, “oh, you don’t need to lose weight” or “you should eat this, it’s really good,” "it’s not going to hurt you, you can watch your diet tomorrow," that has an influence that may be inappropriate on what we know is the right thing to do. 

It’s an interesting concept that few have studied.