People don’t need another reason to shun fat people. This group represents the last scapegoat for righteous discrimination in our image-obsessed society. There are myriad reasons a person becomes obese. Friendship is not one of them.

Shawn Dehne
Littleton, Colo.

As such studies progress, it will be interesting to learn if the opposite—weight loss—is also influenced by social networks. And if not, why not.

Victoria D. McCoy
Drake, Colo.

From the Nature Index

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