Want to lose weight? Research says to get thinner friends

The days are warming up and the terrifying thought of swimsuit season is just around the corner. But if you’re looking to get Project Bikini Body underway, it might not just be a gym membership you need to look into.

New research claims having thinner people in your squad can also boost your chances of weight loss success.

RELATED: Gigi Hadid slams skinny shamers
RELATED: The dangers of being skinny fat

The study, published in the journal Obesity, looked at 9000 adults and their weight goals. The study then looked to that person’s closest four people they spent the most time with, and what their body shape was like.

After tracking them for a year, researchers uncovered that people who want to lose weight often spend time with people who were heavier as well.

But when they did spend time with skinnier people, they were actually more successful at dropping kilos. In fact, the study claims that adding a thinner friend into your social rotation was linked to a loss of 0.3 kg.

This makes sense, say researchers. You usually share habits with people around you, so if you’re hanging out with someone who likes #cleaneating and goes to the gym, you’re more likely to do it too.

But before you go all Mean Girls on your friends, researchers are eager to stress this should just make you more aware of who and what you surround yourself with.

“Friendship ties to thin folks aren’t the be-all and end-all,” says lead author Matthew Andersson.

“We don’t want to send the message that individuals should be superficial about choosing whom to spend time with socially… [instead] take time to remember that even a seemingly personal goal like losing weight actually has deeply social factors influencing its success.”

Want more celebrity, entertainment and lifestyle news? Follow Be on Facebook,Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram