Our friendships can have quite an influence on how we live our lives. There’s a tangible link between the way we behave and the men and women we have friendships with. And yet we’re likely to have presumed this commonality concerned our likes and dislikes - for example we enjoy the same musical tastes as our friends, or hold similar political views.

It’s now becoming apparent as well that this common theme might extend to weight. We will eat more when in the company of good friends who eat more. A small study undertaken in America found that overweight kids and teenagers ate more when they were eating with a friend who was also overweight, than when they ate with a normal weight child.

It appeared in fact that everyone in the study got through more food when with friends than with strangers. But it was when the heavier friends teamed up that the most calories were consumed. The research was featured in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It illustrated the part friends play in the actions of each other.

Certainly, it’s human nature to feel more secure in our actions when we’re amongst friends. We’re not so self-aware with people we like and know well. But there’s possibly more to it than that - we intuitively view friends as permission givers. We grant them the right to define acceptability - in this case in relation to food quantities.

The study took 65 young people of mixed weights and observed them for 45 minutes. There were pairs of friends, and pairs of strangers. They were given games to entertain themselves, along with snack food, fruit and veg.

All the ones who teamed up with a friend ate a larger amount than the rest. However it was the pairs who were both overweight who consumed the most in total. And the variations were considerable, as shown below.

Nearly seven hundred and fifty calories per person was consumed by the larger pairs of friends. Heavy kids with standard weight chums ate just under 450 cals, and standard weight kids ate approx 500 cals whatever weight their mate was. This influence extends to smoking and drinking as well with young teens.

This led the researchers to suggest that young people’s eating habits are largely determined by their social network. Yet this power of association can be beneficial, as positive influences are just as possible as negative ones. Healthy nutrition then should be part of every child’s curriculum.

(C) Scott Edwards. Visit WeightLossDietWar.com for intelligent information on slimming uk and diet weight management.

I was in Las Vegas with my family and I could not stop from noticing the street vendors trying to gain our attention with obscene fliers. They were beating the fliers and doing all they could to gain our attention as they were walking. They were focused on gaining our attention because this is how they made their living. Imagine all the amazing things you can accomplish if you could get people to stop and listen to what you have to say.

Have you ever tried to get another persons attention? What were some of the things you tried to do? If you have noticed, people are consumed with what they are doing. The very last thing a person wants to do is stop and listen to what a street vendor is offering.

I have to admit that I was captivated by one vendor in Hollywood that asked me if I wanted some free movie tickets. Who could turn away from that opportunity? I stopped and listened cautiously and was disappointed as there was a catch. I should have known because nothing is free anymore without doing something for it. I have to give him credit because he was able to get me to stop and listen.

The importance of gaining a person’s attention and keeping it can not be overstated. You can not accomplish anything if you are unable to gain the attention of the person you are trying to persuade. The most important step in trying to persuade someone is trying to get their attention.

There are many ways you can capture and maintain your prospects attention but before you approach your prospect, you should always think of statements you could possibly say to get their attention?

In face-to-face situations you can gain a persons attention by your appearance and the choice of your opening lines. Make sure your first impression is a good one. You only get one chance to make a great first impression.

Looks:

The way you look and the way you present yourself in person also determines the attention you get from the individual you are meeting. Are you wearing something they can comment on? You need to wear something that is eye catching and unique. You can even wear something that smells good to gain their attention. You want to leave them with the thought of you on their mind.

Opening Statement:

What can you say that would grab their attention? You can surprise them with a startling statement or any statement that will capture their curiosity. You can say something that is surprising.

There are some people that gain attention by telling a story, a joke, a complement or just saying something crazy. The stories you tell should be surprising and captivating.. draw the listeners into your story. You want to customize your story to the individual that you are speaking to and make them seem as if they are the character in your story.

When you first meet a stranger you can offer them a compliment and follow that compliment with a question. You could say ” I like your dress, where did you get it?” Following up a compliment with a question allows the person to think you are genuine.

You want that individual to feel special that you are giving them your utmost attention. You want to give them a feeling that the time they spend with you would be a good time. You also want them to know that your time is valuable and they should appreciate the fact that you are spending time with them. Remember feelings are emotional. People like to feel acknowledged and appreciated.

Questions:

You can also get a persons attention if you ask them to help you solve a problem. See by asking them to help you, they are now thinking of ways to solve your problem and are no longer focused on their current situation. Your questions will allow them to think creatively.

It is all about getting people to not focus on their present conscious awareness. Questions allow people to go deep in their thoughts and removes them from their current situation. Even if the person can not help you, you were still able to make them think of something else. You captured and directed their thoughts.

The problem could be a hypothetical problem that is posed to make a point or a problem that is occurring in a story.

Anytime you face a problem, you have an internal response that draws your attention into the problem. ie. What do you think will happen when…? What’s the relationship between…? Can you help me figure this out? There has to be a way to make this work?

Think of 3 different problems that you can present to your prospect that will lead them to discover the benefits of your problems.

Headlines:

In direct marketing you use your HEADLINE to gain the readers attention.

When looking at the material that you use to market your product. You need to take into account the appearance of the material and the information the material is providing. Just like meeting a person face-to-face you must look good and your opening lines must be a good. Your marketing materials must also leave a good impression on the reader.

You cannot assume you have an individual’s attention. It’s your job to go out and get that attention. You need to utilize and organize your words to capture the attention of your audience. Your words must be captivating and create pictures so the audience can visualize what you are saying.

Try to put yourself in your audience shoes and imagine what they are thinking of. If your words are boring, you are going to lose and never capture their attention. They are most likely thinking of what they did today, what to do tomorrow and some of the things they need to get completed.

What ever you are saying is going in one ear and out the other. It is your job to get their attention quickly and to keep it. You do not want them thinking of crazy stuff. You want them to hang onto every word that is coming out of your mouth.

I was in Las Vegas with my family and I could not stop from noticing the street vendors trying to gain our attention with obscene fliers. They were beating the fliers and doing all they could to gain our attention as they were walking. They were focused on gaining our attention because this is how they made their living. Imagine all the amazing things you can accomplish if you could get people to stop and listen to what you have to say.

I would hate working on the street as a vendor trying to gain a persons attention. People are so consumed with what they are doing, the last thing they want to do is stop and listen to what a street vendor is offering. Could you imagine all the rejections they must hear every time they are working.

I have to admit that I was captivated by a vendor in Hollywood that asked me if I wanted some free movie tickets. Who could turn away from that opportunity? I stopped and listened cautiously. I was disappointed as there was a catch. I should have known because nothing is free anymore without doing something for it. I have to give him credit because he was able to get me to stop and listen.

To gain a person’s attention and keeping it can not be overstated. You can not accomplish anything if you are unable to gain the attention of the person you are trying to persuade. The most important step in trying to persuade someone is getting their attention.

There are many ways you can capture and maintain your prospects attention but before you approach your prospect, you should always think of statements you could possibly say to get their attention?

In face-to-face situations you can gain a persons attention by your appearance and the choice of your opening lines. Make sure your first impression is a good one. You only get one chance to make a great first impression.

APPEARANCE:

The way you look and the way you present yourself in person also determines the attention you get from the individual you are meeting. Are you wearing something they can comment on? You need to wear something that is eye catching and unique. You can even wear something that smells great to gain their attention. Your goal is to leave them with the thought of you on their mind.

Opening Lines:

What can you say that would grab their attention? You can surprise them with a startling statement or any statement that will gain their curiosity. You can say something that is surprising such as “I love you”. This is very shocking and surprising. If this does not get their attention, than I don’t know what will.

Some people gain attention by telling a story, a joke, a complement or just saying something crazy. The stories you tell should be surprising and captivating.. draw the listeners into your story. You want to customize your story to the individual that you are speaking to and make them seem as if they are the character in your story.

When you first meet a stranger you can offer them a compliment and follow that compliment with a question. You could say ” I like your dress, where did you get it?” Following up a compliment with a question allows the person to think you are genuine.

You want that individual to feel special that you are giving them your utmost attention. You want to give them a feeling that the time they spend with you would be a good time. You also want them to know that your time is valuable and they should appreciate the fact that you are spending time with them. Remember feelings are emotional. People like to feel acknowledged and appreciated.

Questions:

You can also get a persons attention if you ask them to help you solve a problem. See by asking them to help you, they are now thinking of ways to solve your problem and are no longer focused on their current situation. Your questions will allow them to think creatively.

It is all about getting people to not focus on their present conscious awareness. Questions allow people to go deep in their thoughts and removes them from their current situation. Even if the person can not help you, you were still able to make them think of something else. You captured and directed their thoughts.

The problem could be a hypothetical problem that is posed to make a point or a problem that is occurring in a story.

Anytime we face a problem, we have an internal response that draws our attention into the problem. ie. What do you think will happen when…? What’s the relationship between…? Can you help me figure this out? There has to be a way to make this work?

Think of 3 different problems that you can present to your prospect that will lead them to discover the benefits of your problems.

Headlines:

In direct marketing you use your HEADLINE to gain the readers attention.

When looking at the material that you use to market your product. You need to take into account the appearance of the material and the information the material is providing. Just like meeting a person face-to-face you must look good and your opening lines must be a good. Your marketing materials must also leave a good impression on the reader.

You cannot assume you have an individual’s attention. It’s your job to go out and get that attention. You need to utilize and organize your words to capture the attention of your audience. Your words must be captivating and create pictures so the audience can visualize what you are saying.

Try to put yourself in your audience shoes and imagine what they are thinking of. If your words are boring, you are going to lose and never capture their attention. They are most likely thinking of what they did today, what to do tomorrow and some of the things they need to get completed.

What ever you are saying is going in one ear and out the other. It is your job to get their attention quickly and to keep it. You do not want them thinking of crazy stuff. You want them to hang onto every word that is coming out of your mouth.