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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
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Self-comparisons as motivators for healthy behavior.

Holly B Shakya1, Nicholas A Christakis2, James H Fowler1,3

  • 1Family Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|October 15, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Feeling thinner than friends may decrease dieting, while feeling fitter can increase exercise and alcohol reduction. Social comparison influences weight-loss behaviors differently based on the specific behavior targeted.

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Area of Science:

  • Social psychology
  • Health behavior research
  • Obesity studies

Background:

  • Social comparison theory posits that individuals evaluate themselves by comparing to others.
  • Normative social comparisons, such as feeling fitter or thinner than peers, may influence health-related behaviors.
  • Understanding these social dynamics is crucial for developing effective weight management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if self-perceived fitness and thinness relative to social contacts predict weight-loss behaviors.
  • To examine the association between social comparison and three specific behaviors: dieting, alcohol reduction, and exercise.
  • To explore the mediating role of weight perception in the relationship between social comparison and weight-loss behaviors.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal survey design utilizing a national sample of 20,373 American adults.
  • Data collected at two annual waves to assess personal social networks and self-comparisons.
  • Statistical analyses to determine the predictive power of social comparison on subsequent weight-loss behaviors.

Main Results:

  • Feeling thinner than friends at baseline was associated with lower odds of dieting at follow-up.
  • Feeling fitter than friends predicted increased odds of reducing alcohol intake and exercising.
  • Social comparison explained a significant portion of the relationship between perceived body image and subsequent weight-loss behaviors.

Conclusions:

  • Normative self-comparison with social contacts is a significant factor in obesity-related health behaviors.
  • The impact of social comparison on weight-loss behaviors varies depending on the specific behavior.
  • Interventions targeting weight management could potentially leverage social comparison dynamics for greater efficacy.