The Eagles have Philly fandom peaking. With the Birds heading to the NFC championship game, the region is euphoric at the prospect of another trip to the Super Bowl. The social contagion is ramped, but not surprising.
Philadelphia has a national reputation as having extremely passionate fans. Everyone remembers the ear-piercing volume at Citizens Bank Park during the Phillies' playoff runs, and the home crowd at Lincoln Financial Field serves as a 12th man against visiting teams. Players have commented on the attraction of playing in Philly because of the loyal fans.
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Locally, we know that Philly fandom is a family experience. There is our fan family — bound by our common devotion, away-game travel and the pride we display wearing team gear at game-day rituals. Then, there's our own families — generations attending games together, handing down season tickets, and planning vacations around road games and spring training.
Fandom is woven into the fabric of our lives.
This legacy and the Eagles' current surge made me wonder what effect fandom has on our health and wellbeing. I've got a psychological bounce in my step, and excitement is through the roof on sports talk radio, but does fandom have any impact on our mental or physical health? Is it good or bad? What do the experts say?
The health benefits of being a sports fan
One of the top experts in the fandom space is Murray State University psychology professor Daniel L. Wann. Wann has been studying the psychology of sports fans since the mid-1980s. According to Wann, fandom, particularly when people feel a connection to their local team, can help them meet basic psychological needs. The link to others can provide a sense of belonging and prevent feelings of loneliness and social isolation.
"The more the fan is identified with a local team, the greater that that individual is likely to have a well-rounded sense of psychological health, lower levels of loneliness, lower levels of alienation, a higher sense of self-esteem, and less social isolation," Wann said last year on the American Psychological Association's "Speaking of Pyschology" podcast.
Wann noted the ebb and flow of team success builds coping strategies among sports fans, but he acknowledged that there is a darker side of fandom that occurs when fans act aggressively or when their fandom negatively impacts their personal relationships. About 2% to 3% of fans that consume upward of 100 hours of sports per week experience detrimental effects, including caring less about their jobs and spending time with loved ones, he said. It even can impact getting the proper amount of sleep.
Despite these outliers, on balance, Wann's research shows most fans receive huge psychological benefits from their fandom – a point backed up by others in the field.
Dr. Stephen Reysen, a professor in the Department of Psychology and Special Education at East Texas A&M University, also examined the social connections and wellbeing fans receive through their engagement. Like Wann, his research found there are mental health benefits of being a fan. Reysen's research confirmed fandom provides important psychological needs and well-being among those within fan communities.
As far back as 2008, then University of Chicago psychology professor Sian Bellock conducted research that found being a sports fan improves language skills. Parts of the brain associated with planning and controlling actions become activated when fans listen to conversations about sports. This improves understanding of language related to the sports being discussed.
Further back, a 1998 study at the University of Utah found a 20% increase in testosterone for fans of winning teams and a 20% decrease in the fans of the losing teams. The testosterone surge after a win offsets the daily testosterone decline men naturally experience with age.
Sports fandom is tied to unhealthy eating habits
In 2012, Wann told CNN that "the stereotype that sports fans are overweight, beer-drinking couch potatoes is inaccurate." But a number of experts suggest the opposite.
Researchers at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock examined lifestyle behavior disparities among sports fans and non-sports fans based on team identification. They found sports fans had significantly higher BMIs and had less healthy eating habits. Sports fans ate breakfast less and consumed fast food and foods higher in fat more often. They were less likely to eat vegetables and more often ate refined grains (vs. whole grains) and drank more alcoholic beverages than non-sports fans.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, research shows the outcome of NFL games affects fans' eating habits the following day. Researchers who studied the eating habits of NFL fans for two seasons found that after losses fans consumed 10% more calories and 16% more saturated fat than usual. A close game or a tough loss pushed the percentages higher. On the plus side, a big win prompted the opposite reaction. Fans ate foods with about 9% less saturated fat and 5% fewer calories than their regular diets.
In a separate report, the Cleveland Clinic noted that the stress of high-stakes games may increase the heart attrck potential for people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity. The same is true for smokers and people who drink alcohol in excess. Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Dr. Nicholas Ruthmann noted that when you combine these risks with a tendency to over-indulge on alcohol and fatty foods during big games, "it's a recipe for a major heart episode."
There you have it, Philly fans. Your passion for our teams can have a positive impact on our psychological health and mental wellbeing, win or lose. Physically, it's a bit more of mixed bag, but it leans more toward poor habits.
As a practitioner of a healthy lifestyle and a dedicated fan, I hold out the belief that fans can indeed live healthy – physically and mentally. Consider this column as my scouting report on the common opponent of physical and mental ailments we all face and the start of your game plan for building a healthy lifestyle while staying true to your Philly fandom.
Louis Bezich, senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Cooper University Health Care, is author of "Crack The Code: 10 Proven Secrets that Motivate Healthy Behavior and Inspire Fulfillment in Men Over 50." Read more from Louis on his website.
