Maybe it's the spirit of competition. Maybe it's the peer pressure. But a new study suggests partnering up with a buddy to shed some extra pounds after researchers found that people who stay together lose together.

Not unlike the reality TV show "Big Fat Loser," which follows teams of overweight Americans as they shed pounds, a team of researchers says that weight loss can be "contagious" when undertaken in a competitive, social environment.

Previous studies have also found the opposite can be true: that obesity can likewise be contagious.

The study, published online last week in the journal Obesity, was based on data from a 2009 online weight loss competition in Rhode Island that spanned 12 weeks. About 3,330 overweight and obese participants represented 987 teams averaging five to 11 members.

Researchers found that those who lost significant amounts of weight — defined as at least 5 percent of their initial body weight — tended to be on the same teams, while being on a team with more people was also associated with greater weight loss.

Those who reported higher levels of social influence among teammates also increased their odds of achieving increased weight loss by 20 percent.

A 2010 study out of Harvard suggested that having obese friends also increases a person's chance of becoming obese.

Copyright AFP/Relaxnews