Close X
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ADVT 
Life

Couple Who Works Out Together, Loses Weight Together

Darpan News Desk IANS, 04 May, 2018 01:05 PM
    Turns out, while many couples like to do certain things together, working out together is the whole new definition of beneficial.
     
     
    According to a study conducted by the Taylor & Francis Group, couples who are trying to lose weight could be putting their relationship under strain by using unsuitable strategies to achieve their weight loss goals.
     
     
    Interpersonal communication expert, Rene Dailey, investigated how individuals interpret their partner's approaches to help weight loss, aiming to provide more tailored recommendations for couples looking to support each other's weight loss goals.
     
     
    Analysing the online survey responses of 389 individuals, all of whom were actively trying to lose weight and living with their romantic partner, Dailey identified four different 'relational environments' in which couples lose weight.
     
     
    These ranged from 'synchronised', where both partners share a positive attitude towards weight loss and act as a team to pursue their weight loss goals, to 'lone battlers', characterised by low team effort, and higher relationship strain.
     
     
    Lone battlers are less likely to discuss weight loss as a couple.
     
     
     
     
    The study classed those somewhere in between as either 'contentious cooperatives', when approaching weight loss sometimes causes conflict, or 'autonomous', where individuals receive only sporadic encouragement from their partner, without undue interference.
     
     
    The three most common weight loss strategies couples use are encouragement (giving praise and reassurance), influence (pushing their partner to do better and make healthier choices), and coercion (making the other feel guilty by withdrawing affection).
     
     
    However, unless partners align these approaches with their specific relational environment, couples risk alienation and unnecessary tension. The study discovered that 'synchronised' partners, who framed weight loss as a shared goal, were far more receptive to all three strategies, including coercion.
     
     
    The negative emotions associated with this strategy, such as guilt, were more likely to be interpreted positively in this environment as a concern for their partner's health, rather than as manipulative or controlling. This could lead to positive effects for both weight loss and the couple's relationship.
     
     
     
     
    Dailey commented, "Relational partners co-create an environment in which people lose weight. Partner behaviours that support the weight loss can be viewed differently depending on the environment. For example, a person who wants to focus on a diet but their partner focuses on exercise might see the partner's suggestion of going for a walk as intrusive and unhelpful. By contrast, a person who feels they and their partner are on the same page about how to lose weight could welcome the suggestion".
     
     
    "These findings suggest that couples might benefit from negotiating the best relational environment and desired support strategies from their partners, to facilitate their progress more effectively. Ultimately, this would help them to better balance their weight loss goals with the maintenance of their relationship", concluded Dailey.
     
     
     
     
    The study appears in the journal Health Communication.

    MORE Life ARTICLES

    RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards Winners Honoured

    RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards Winners Honoured
    LGBTQ activist, window washer turned cargo airline CEO, ballet dancer and youth philanthropist among this year’s recipients  

    RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards Winners Honoured

    Shh, Living Near Busy Road May Up Risk Of Male Infertility

    Shh, Living Near Busy Road May Up Risk Of Male Infertility
    Beware if you are renting an apartment next to a busy road as a study finds that long-term exposure to traffic noise, particularly at night, increases the risk of infertility in men.

    Shh, Living Near Busy Road May Up Risk Of Male Infertility

    City of Surrey launches Paw Play in the Park Program

    City of Surrey launches Paw Play in the Park Program
    Paw Play will bring expertise, tools, and resources to people in the community. 

    City of Surrey launches Paw Play in the Park Program

    Jaz Saini & Harjit Bhandal of YouTwoTV channel win “Fan Fave Much Creator” Award

    Jaz Saini & Harjit Bhandal of YouTwoTV channel win “Fan Fave Much Creator” Award
    YouTwoTV was created out of Jaz and Harjit’s passion for producing unique content and making people laugh. 

    Jaz Saini & Harjit Bhandal of YouTwoTV channel win “Fan Fave Much Creator” Award

    2017 Jessie Award Winner Rohit Chokhani Launches Project SAT

    2017 Jessie Award Winner Rohit Chokhani Launches Project SAT
    Initiative kicks off in July at the new Jim Green House Studio with free workshops

    2017 Jessie Award Winner Rohit Chokhani Launches Project SAT

    Dear Parents, Starting School Young Can Affect Child's Wellbeing

    Dear Parents, Starting School Young Can Affect Child's Wellbeing
    Parents, Take Note! A New Research Has Shown Starting School Early Could Have A Negative Impact On Child's Wellbeing.

    Dear Parents, Starting School Young Can Affect Child's Wellbeing