Can Facebook Help You Lose Weight?

According to research performed at the University of Georgia, it seems that 'self-control' can be spread through social networks. In just one of their studies, "71 volunteers watched others exert self-control by choosing a carrot from a plate in front of them instead of a cookie from a nearby plate, while others watched people eat the cookies instead of the carrots. The volunteers had no interaction with the tasters other than watching them, yet their performance was altered on a later test of self-control, depending on who they were randomly assigned to watch."

What was the verdict? Subjects who watched someone exercise self-control by eating a carrot had elevated scores later on with a test measuring their self restraint. According to the lead author Michelle vanDellen, a visiting assistant professor in the UGA department of psychology, it means the "take home message of this study is that picking social influences that are positive can improve your self-control," she said. "The magnitude of the influence might be significant enough to be the difference between eating an extra cookie at a party or not, or deciding to go to the gym despite a long day at work. The effect isn't so strong that it absolves people of accountability for their actions, but it is a nudge toward or away from temptation."

For guys, that means you are who you surround yourself with. If you're having a hard time losing weight, then do yourself a favor and check your 'friends' list on Facebook (or whatever social network you follow). If everyone you follow on the Web -- or even hang around with at the bar, ball game or after work -- typically cheats on their diet, remember that you're more inclined to follow their example and do the same. Weeding through your friends list and following people you know are on track, as opposed to the ones whose dietary and exercise habits are a disaster, could be exactly what you need to get an unexpected boost of motivation to help stay on track with your diet and exercise regime.

For even more frightening facts about social networking sites raising your risk of developing cancer, this article will shock you. And, if you need a few positive role-models to follow to help you stay motivated, you can follow That's Fit on Twitter and Facebook.

Fitness expert Myatt Murphy is the author of the best-selling books, The Body You Want in the Time You Have,Ultimate Dumbbell Guide and co-author of The Men's Health Gym Bible and Face It & Fix It: A Three-Step Plan to Break Free from Denial and Discover the Life You Deserve.