<DIV></DIV>Tackling a weight problem is often viewed as a personal responsibility that requires making healthier choices. The latest research, however, shows that <I>external </I>factors—from family and friendships to advertising and the workplace environment—make an equal, if not greater, contribution. Just look at the stats: A person’s chance of becoming obese increases by 57 percent if a close friend is obese, 40 percent if a sibling is obese, and 37 percent if a spouse is obese.</P></P>That’s where <I>Thinfluence </I>comes in. Through a research-based examination of various social, environmental, and policy-based issues, renowned Harvard researchers Dr. Walter Willett and Dr. Malissa Wood examine how relationships, workplace, media, and other factors are affecting readers’ weights. <I>Thinfluence</I> doesn’t tell readers to ditch their friends and family, change jobs, or move to another state. It offers a clear three-step action plan—analyze, act, influence—for readers to identify hidden factors affecting weight, develop a personal toolbox to combat external effects, and become positive influences on others around them.