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The Company You Keep



 

Many articles provide insight on how the company you keep impacts your lifestyle. If you grew up in a household where your parents finished college you are more likely to go to college. It is no secret that parents are the primary influence in children’s lives. Parents or guardian figures guide what kids eat, where they live and even what they wear. But parents influence their children in a far more important way: Research shows that parents’ education level has a significant impact on their children’s success.

 

“One reason for this phenomenon is that parents who have gone to college or graduate school tend to place a high value on educational attainment. A 2018 study published by the U.S. Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics found the following: “Of students who enrolled in public four-year universities, 45% had parents with college degrees and 26% did not. https://degree.lamar.edu.”

 

Just as parents impact us, our circle of friends can significantly impact our behavior. My circle of close folks to me that are frequently in my presence tend to gravitate toward  a healthy lifestyle. I have been honest in saying that out of all of us, I am the one less health conscious. My group inspires me (and yes challenges me ) to make better choices about what I eat to minimize the negative impact on my overall health. When I am around them, I make better choices and it’s relatively easy to do since they role model better choices and I see the positive impact on their health. I instinctively fall in line when we are together.

 

Conversely, when I am around less health-conscious friends, I have no problem yielding to less healthy food options. I don’t even think about it. If they order burgers, fries and a milkshake, my eyes widen as I scour the menu for milkshake flavors.  I don’t even think about getting a salad or a less calorie-laden option.

 

I say this after returning from a breakfast with friends wherein I consumed enough calories to total my entire daily allowance in one meal! (Unfortunately, I am not exaggerating.) To my credit I am not eating another morsel for the rest of the day and am consuming copious amounts of water to try and somehow mitigate the damage. With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching may this serve as your reminder to be careful of the company you keep!


Lou

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