HEALTH TOPICS 
Infectious health behaviors
A theory about how health and emotions may spread.
People are social by nature, spending about 80% of their waking hours with family, friends, or co-workers. A spate of studies about the health impact of this web of personal relationships — or "social networks," in research parlance — suggests that friends, family members, and even friends-of-friends can "spread" particular health behaviors and emotions, just as they can spread a cold or flu virus.
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