There’s nothing wrong with hanging out with overweight friends. But you might need to think again before you eat with them.

A new study which was reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that overweight children and teenagers tend to eat more when they eat with their overweight friends, as compared to when they eat with their thinner peer.

Below are the findings of this new research by the State University of New York at Buffalo when they studied a group of 9- to 15- year-olds:

• First is that they had a tendency to eat more when they snacked with a friend rather than a peer they did not know.

• Second and more important, their biggest calorie intakes were seen when an overweight child snacked with an overweight friend.

This means that friends play a significant role on how children eat, and therefore it affects weight gain or loss.

Assistant professor of pediatrics at the State University of New York Sarah-Jean Salvy says that this same pattern can also be observed in adults, as there is the possibility of getting self-conscious around strangers.

But there are two ways of looking at this research. This could also mean that one’s healthy eating habits could also influence those who eat junk.

(via Reuters)