DadTalk

Happiness is contagious (but so is smoking and snacking)

Our moods are strongly influenced by those around us, research has shown

 In a bad mood? Don't blame the weather, your job or your bank balance - blame your friends.

Our moods are strongly influenced by those around us, research has shown. When our friends smile, we smile with them. And when they are low, we tend to feel sorry for ourselves too. But it is not only emotions which are contagious - obesity and smoking habits can be too, according to researchers.

The effect of emotional 'peer pressure' is much more pronounced than previously thought, as even distant friends and acquaintances influence our day-to-day attitudes, New Scientist reports.

A cheerful friend who lives nearby raises your own chances of happiness by more than 60 per cent. In contrast, colleagues have no effect on our moods. And interestingly, friends of the same sex affect people's moods more than their spouses do.

New Scientist reported that a whole range of phenomena are 'transmitted' through networks of friends, including happiness and depression, obesity, drinking and smoking habits and even ill-health. Those who are worried about picking up bad habits might want to think twice about the company they keep, says the magazine. It advises: 'Cutting ties with old friends might be a bit drastic, though perhaps spending less time with those whose traits we do not wish to share would be a good idea.'

Read the story in the Daily Mail

Or, read the research article in the New Scientist

Watch the experiment on Youtube - then why not test the theory yourself?