The importance of community

That “obesity is contagious” study has been on my mind all week. Lori blogged about it over on AFG and it seems that every news outlet is talking about it exactly when I flip the channel to listen. Since I have a choice of news from three cities and multiple networks, this multiplies into way more exposure to this study than I want to have.

At first I was just mad and squirmy the way I usually get when the TV talks to me about fat people, which is apparently at least one major story a week. I do tend to block off words in an automatic defensive mechanism to protect myself, half expecting people around me who have heard the same story to openly confront me about my size which must be the result of whatever the story was about.

But I couldn’t shake what they said. Right now most of my close friends are dealing with weight problems and are kind of in a funky place. We talk about how we didn’t stick with our points, didn’t stay abstinent, lost control with cookies, stumbled over birthday cake. We debate going to the gym and joint injuries. We’ve had periods of great success, not usually at the same time, and have been supportive of each other’s efforts.

There’s another community, though, that I have been ignoring, my weekly Weight Watchers’ meeting. Oh, I’ve been going and getting weighed – I’ve gained almost 10 lbs since I moved, which is not a good thing even though I know why. But I haven’t stayed at the meeting because it wasn’t MY meeting. That one was back in Boston and I miss my leader and the friends I made there. I knew what kind of support that was and knew I could give as well as receive.

Here I’m a stranger. People were friendly the one time I did stay for a meeting but I just felt … other. So I didn’t stay the next two times I went – and I gained weight. Hmmm. I don’t think this is a coincidence, and I hadn’t thought about it until it niggled into my awareness after the contagious obesity study.

There is power in community, support and inspiration. People in a group take turns leading and being supported; we’re not all perfect all the time. Weight Watchers reports the following:

In a prospective, 2-year clinical trial that randomly assigned participants to either Weight Watchers meetings or the self-help method, those who were assigned to Weight Watchers meetings lost and kept off significantly more weight. Moreover, there was a direct connection between the attendance at Weight Watchers meetings and weight-loss results.

So knowing this, I’m going to a meeting tomorrow and officially signing up as my meeting choice instead of just dropping in for a weigh in. I will stay for the meeting and try not to make comparisons to my other group. This one has successes and good people and community and I need all of the above.