As the obesity epidemic continues to grow, health professionals have collectively recommended eating a healthy diet and exercising on a regular basis to combat the disease. These two well-known factors are important in the fight against obesity, but a social element should also be considered. The power of social ties within social networks has a significant impact on health outcomes (Holt-Lunstad, Smith, & Layton, 2010). This suggests, the absence of supportive health communication within an individual’s social network may increase the likelihood of obesity among the individual and within their network. Christakis and Fowler (2007) examined the spread of obesity through social networks from data over a 32-year span. The likelihood of obesity