Do your friends influence your eating habits?

I wrote an article about this topic in Shape magazine a couple years ago, and I thought I'd address it here because I continue to realize how much this is true for me. If I'm brunching with a super-healthy friend, I'll usually forgo the burger and fries and get an egg white omelette with whole wheat toast on the side . But if my friend orders the burger and fries, well, there's a much greater chance I will follow suit. Why do you think that is?

For me, a big reason is that I want to be part of the group. I don't want to stand out or to make someone else feel guilty about their food choices. Maybe this is a lame excuse for my lack of willpower, but I really think it's true because I am very much a people pleaser. I want to be the relatable friend others feel comfortable around. The one that can chime in and say "me too!" when a friend is complaining about gaining a few pounds or the drunk pizza she had the night before. Does that sound ridiculous?

Excuse the cheesy pic (pun intended)--I thought it'd be good to get some fresher faces on the blog instead of 29 year-olds with forehead wrinkles for a change. Anyway, I really need to get a handle on my actions when it comes to friends and eating. Of course, eating is a social thing that should be enjoyed, but sometimes I spiral out of control a bit too much.

The Harvard study that was included in my Shape story stated that if you have an obese friend, your chances of being overweight increase by 57 percent. That is a lot. Why? Because if you have overweight friends, your ideals of what is healthy and acceptable is different, and you tend to adopt their habits. One of the experts from the study told me that even a long distance friend you only see once a year can have an effect on your weight. Crazy!

Now, of course you can still be healthy and have an overweight friend. We don't need to take that study so literally, but I do think there is some truth in the fact that your friends influence what you eat. Most of my friends are like me: Conscious about their health, but still enjoy ice cream or a slice of pizza (or two) from time to time. (Or, um, a lot of the time).

So what about you: Do your friends influence your eating habits?