This article was on AOL news, and I thought it was interesting:

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that extra calories will make you fat. Yet calories aren't the only weight woe you should worry about. As it turns out, your day may be loaded with traps that could be keeping you heavy, and most of them aren't so obvious -- like your credit cards or even your best friend. Take a look at these surprising factors behind weight gain.

1. You buy your lunch with a credit card

People who pay for their food with a credit card spend 30 percent more on average than people who pay with cash, according to a Visa study of 100,000 restaurant transactions. Thirty percent more money, translates into more food (and calories and fat) you don't need. The next time you dine out, pull out the cash.

2. You're a meat-eater

Where's the beef? It could very well be on your hips. Researchers asked over 55,000 women to classify themselves as either omnivores, semivegetarians, lactovegetarians or vegans. A whopping 40 percent of omnivores were either overweight or obese while only 29 percent of semivegetarians and vegans and 25 percent of lactovegeterians had these weight issues. To slim down, eat more plant foods and less animal products.

3. You eat at church functions

Blame it on the between-service cookies, potluck suppers and ice cream socials but Baptists, Fundamentalist Protestants, pietistic Protestants and Catholics have the highest rates of obesity among religious folks, according to a Purdue University researcher. Avoid splurging at food-oriented church activities and look to your church for help with your diet: Many have faith-based weight-loss programs.

4. You dine in a group

Other diners may make you overindulge. With one other person, you eat 35 percent more. Yet when seven or more are at your table, you could eat 96 percent more. Not interested in eating alone? Just sit next to someone who eats slowly, as they'll help set your eating pace.

5. You drink diet soda

Diet and other artificially sweetened foods may not be so waistline-friendly after all. When rats ate yogurt sweetened with no-calorie saccharin, they later noshed nine percent more, gained 25 percent more weight and added more body fat, according to a study from Behavioral Neuroscience. It's too early to tell how this applies to people, but if you're concerned about weight, ditching fake sugars may help. Just don't switch to regular soda or you could really pack on the pounds -- drink water instead.

6. You're married

When you took your vows, you may not have realized you were also signing up to be partners in weight gain. Yet a 32-year study found that if one spouse becomes obese, the other spouse was 37 percent more likely to be obese. The obvious solution? Encourage each other to adopt healthy habits like exercising regularly and eating healthy.

7. You drive everywhere

Where you live could impact the number on your scale. One study from the American Journal of Obesity found that people living in walkable neighborhoods with access to healthy foods were leaner than people living in less desirable physical environments where they rely mostly on cars for transport.

8. You wear baggy clothing

You're quick to notice you've put on some pounds when you struggle to zip your jeans, but if you frequently wear oversized clothing, you may not notice the pounds creeping on. You don't have to don a tight outfit to keep your weight check, but you might consider weighing yourself regularly to avoid a sneaky gain.

9. You have heavy friends

It's true: Obesity is contagious. Researchers examined the social networks of over 12,000 people for over 30 years and found that having an obese friend increased a person's risk of being obese by 57 percent. The odds were even greater if they were close friends or the same sex. Don't think you have to ditch your friends, though. Instead, meet for a walk instead of a latte or take a fitness class together rather than hitting the movies.

10. You don't drink alcohol

Here's a surprise: The odds of obesity were 17 percent lower for people who consumed one or two drinks daily than for non-drinkers, according to a study of over 8,000 non-smokers. Heavy drinkers, however, were more likely to be obese. Don't take this as an okay to start drinking, especially if you don't already. But if you are currently consuming alcohol, make sure you're keeping it to a healthy minimum.

11. You rarely see the sun

Dermatologists have been warning against sun exposure for years, but there may be good reason to let a little light into your life. Obesity has been associated with lower vitamin D levels, and sunshine is one of the best ways to increase those levels. Although you still need to be cautious about how much sun you get, some experts recommend getting up to 20 minutes of unprotected exposure (except the hands and face) daily.

Several interesting points on here. At first they all seem like common sense, but some of them I have never thought of before.

Thanks for sharing!

I love to argue points from experts.

1 - my weight loss has been more consistent since I increased my protein levels.

5 - although I drink less, I still drink from time to time, and my alcoholic drink of choice for this summer is made with Splenda.

7 - still do this, probably still will

8 - yep, because it's all too big now

I like them all except the vitamin D one. It's much more likely that obesity isn't triggered on by lack of sunlight, but rather more overweight people spend more time inside sitting on the couch than their slimmer counterparts and therefore have lower vitamin D. Linked, yes, but this article might lead a lot of people to believe sun is healthy in some amounts- you can get vitamin D from other sources!

The media likes to twists studies around to be more interesting no matter how socially irresponsible what they are suggesting might be.

Also, I definitely have friends that are "fat enablers..." we always eat out together, sometimes I smoke with them...ah!

These seem pretty interesting, but I'd like to see the research behind these statements. A lot of those things seem pretty correlational, which means that there could be several extraneous variables going on. It just so happens that people who are overweight do X, but it could be because doing X also stems from behavior Y which is the real cause of the obesity.

What the heck is a "semi-vegetarian?" Either you eat meat or you don't eat meat.

Interesting post. I agree that it would be important to look at the science behind these claims before accepting them. Correlation does not equal causation.

Haha. While I agree with you, I think what the article is describing is the same thing as a "flexitarian."

Wikipedia defines this as a "semi-vegetarian diet involving the practice of eating mainly vegetarian food, but making occasional exceptions for social, pragmatic, cultural, or nutritional reasons. There is a wide range in the circumstances and outer boundaries of their dietary practices, which resist easy classification. Flexitarians are not vegetarians because animal flesh is not what vegetarians consume."

some people call me this because I only eat chicken and sometimes turkey. Never any pork, or red meat, or fish (I cant).

I also eat a ton of veggies and sometimes tofu and similar items. I don't consider myself a semi-vegetarian, but I am by others.

Haha. I'm not sure I'd buy anything I read on AOL! You know what the media's like.

I'd read this as "things some overweight folks have in common". Not necessarily even symptoms and certainly not causes.

Does it make more sense that way?

It's a pretty shallow article. Correlation does not equal cause-and-effect.

But, just for the record, most doctors do agree that some sun exposure is healthy. Our skin is made to manufacture vitamin D from the UV in sunlight, regardless of race--and vitamin D is necessary for strong bones. That's why calcium supplements also often contain vitamin D. That said, the amount of sunlight exposure needed is minimal--something like 5 to 30 minutes twice a week, without sunscreen, and depending on climate and time of day.

The one about alcohol is especially silly. Just what every alcoholic longs to hear...

Jay

I'm pretty much thinking most of it is a bunch of hooey. I know, a strange word to use.

But I mean, come on, people who drink diet soda "nosh" more. Such a great technical term.

I think Susan pretty much summed it up.

Me two!!

1. I rarely eat out but when I do, I always pay with MC because I collect points. But that does not mean I eat more - I have whatever I would be having if I paid cash.

2. On the contrary, I had to increase the intake of meat in order to have more protein - although I do choose leaner meat.

3. I don't go to church.
4. I don't dine in a group.
5. I don't drink soda
6. Not married
7. Yes, I do drive everywhere but not that's not by choice. Not everybody has a grocery store around the corner. I do plenty of walking with dogs.
8. Baggy clothing - not really.
9. I don't have one heavy friend but the rest are between thin and average.
10. This one is true - I am not a drinker.
11. Yeap, I rarely see the skin but my ultra fair skin and rosacea are the reason. Even if I was skinny and with no rosacea, you would not find me on a beach. I am a shade loving creature.

Ahhhhh. I've never heard of a "flexitarian." Reminds me of my favorite category of sexual identity, "heteroflexible."