Can Friends Make You Gain Weight?

OK, your friends are probably not trying to help you gain weight — but they might be anyway.

No worries, though, you don’t have to give up your friends if you’re trying to lose weight.

Just being aware of these 10 situations where your amigos may be coaxing you into eating bigger portions or more junk (or spending more time sitting on your butt) can help you battle back.

Your friends ask you if you’ve gained a few

Your pals are supposed to be supportive through the ups and downs of your weight.

But the more critical they are of your body, the more weight you gain, suggests a study in the journal Personal Relationships.

Tell any Negative Nancy in your group you just don’t want to hear it.

Your friends don’t want to lose weight with you

When the weight-loss road gets tough, having support from family and friends — and seeing them succeed — can help keep you motivated, suggests preliminary research from Harvard University.

During the 10-month study, people who participated in weight-loss programs with others in their social networks shed six-and-a-half more pounds (and trimmed an additional quarter inch from their waists) than those who went at it alone.

Grab a bud and tackle your goals together!

Your friends take the lead

Ever wonder why you and your friends seem to all be on the same page when it comes to what you want to order at the restaurant?

Turns out, we tend to order similar food as our tablemates, suggests University of Illinois research.

So when someone orders the burger and fries, it gives you the license to then order the nachos.

The trick? Be the first to order at the table.

Your friends can’t resist a treat

What’s guaranteed to kill your willpower? When your friends’ willpower falls.

In a 2012 study in Appetite, researchers gave groups of women plates of cookies and secretly asked their friends not to eat the cookies.

When their friends didn’t touch the sweets, the women were less likely to indulge themselves.

You know that friend who says they’re not a “sweets” person (and you totally are)?

That friend is someone who can help you avoid temptation, like candy at the movie theater or dessert at the restaurant.

Your friends have unhealthy habits

Your pal’s unhealthy habits may be rubbing off on you. Students who had heavier friends were more likely to gain weight, found a study in PLOS ONE.

That doesn’t mean you should ditch your group, but use it as a reason to make friends with someone you see at an exercise class.

Your friends are doing cool stuff on social media

People tend to only show their “best selves” on social media (the kind that takes exotic vacations, eats at hot new restaurants, and have spouses who like to clean).

If you see your friends always looking happy, healthy, fit, and doing fabulous things, it might prompt you to question your life.

So it’s no surprise that a 2013 study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that following your friends on Facebook can be correlated with a higher BMI, possibly because logging on can trigger emotional responses that could lower your self-control.

See what your friends are up to — but keep the snacks at a safe distance.

Your friends eat fast

It’s natural to do as your friends do, and the same goes for the speed at which they eat.

If your friend shovels food in his mouth quickly, you’re more likely to do the same, suggests another study in PLOS One.

Since the faster you eat, the more calories you consume, it pays to slow down.

Your friends pressure you into dessert

Your coworker made the office cookies or your aunt made his famous chocolate cake — and they really want you to try some.

If you’re a people-pleaser, you’re more likely to say yes, despite your dieting goals, suggests a study in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.

You can say a polite no thanks and survive, we promise.

Your friends like couch time

If one friend wants to sit on the couch and binge-watch TV shows and another wants to play tennis, who do you think you should join to support your weight-loss goals?

A study in the Journal of Public Economics suggests that poor physical fitness is contagious among friends.

Be the good influence and set up a walking date after work instead of a happy hour trip to the bar.

Your friends are mostly women

In a group meal setting, simply having women at the table can cause overeating, according to a study in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology.

The researchers found that women tend to “purchase more calories” when dining in all-female groups, while men tend to do the same in mixed-gender groups.

So don’t forget to invite the guys. And guys, don’t try to impress the ladies by treating dinner like an eating contest.