Love, honor and diet with your spouse
If you have ever blamed a spouse for a diet ultimately failing, I have some good news for you (and potentially bad news for your spouse)—you might have been right.
A recent nutrition study looked at 21 people trying to make healthful dietary changes found that spousal support is key. Researchers interviewed the would- be dieters and their spouses to see how much support the spouses were providing.
Most spouses said they offered support and positive encouragement by making the same healthy changes in their own diets, altering the way they shop, or cooking differently. Some helped out by researching information on healthy eating or serving as cheerleaders for their spouse's efforts.
In fact, researchers found that vocal encouragement meant a lot to patients. When it comes to encouraging a dieting spouse, silence is not golden.
What the researchers hope to do is offer a way for couples to work together to make healthy lifestyle choices. After all, there's nothing more difficult in the world than trying to cut out sugar, only to see your spouse sitting on the couch with a big bowl of chocolate ice cream.
It's time to remind your spouse about the part of your marriage vows that included "in sickness and in health"—and tell them you're choosing health.
