Spread the Health

If you're asking a friend to dinner, you may want to invite the person who eats a salad and grilled fish instead of the one who orders the heaping platter of onion rings, layered nachos and a cheese burger. Even if you don't dip into the nachos or grab a few of those onion rings (and who wouldn't?), you're still likely to eat more when you sit down with the second friend than with the first.

That's because social and other external cues are more likely to affect how and what we eat than internal biological forces such as hunger or fullness. When a friend loads up at the dessert buffet, it's a safe bet that you will, too. But if you're with someone who eats sparingly or to whom you don't want to seem an overeater (such as a prospective employer), you'll eat less. In addition, the more people you share a meal with, the more you'll overeat. Did you know you could be influenced like that?

Well, why not use your influence for the better?

Through the 1000Women campaign, EmpowHER is recruiting 1,000 women who will then each reach out to 1,000 more women to create the biggest movement ever for women's health and wellness. The campaign's goal is to get 1 million women to share their inspirational health stories with friends, family and women they've never even met. Campaign participants can do this by creating profiles on 1000Women.com where they can: "tell a friend" about the campaign; share their own personal health and wellness story—including pictures and videos if they wish—or simply vote for another woman's story that inspires them. When 1 million women have engaged in the campaign, EmpowHER will donate $50,000 to HealthyWomen to fund women's health research. Get involved! Visit www.1000Women.com to participate. See the HealthyWomen EmpowHER page by clicking here.

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