Obesity may be “contagious” — less like a disease and more like a case of monkey see, monkey do — but so is good health. Here are some statistics, thanks to studies from Duke and Yale Universities:
- If you exercise regularly, your spouse is twice as likely to exercise, too!
- If you get your cholesterol tested regularly, your spouse is twice as likely to get tested, too!
- If you quit smoking or drinking, your spouse is more than five times as likely to do the same within four years.
- If you get a flu shot, sixty percent of spouses will do the same.
If one half of a couple chooses to improve his or her health and eating habits, there’s a good chance that the other will follow suit. Start with healthy habits like these:
- Always eat breakfast. Including breakfast in your routine means you’re less likely to overeat at lunch or graze on unhealthy snacks during the day.
- Be mindful of your snacking. Don’t just dig in because your mate is having a spouse — ask yourself if you really are hungry.
- Take the time to walk together. Set your alarm a half hour early and use the time for an early-morning stroll — or hit the street before dinner to blow off workday stress and work up an appetite.
- Keep the food in the kitchen, but eat at the dining room table. Serve yourself and sit, leaving the rest out of sight. You’ll both be less likely to overeat and be more mindful of what you’re taking when it comes to seconds.
- Stretch your drinks. Alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, or dilute your wine with seltzer.
- Schedule your annual tests and check-ups at the same time. You don’t HAVE to have your appointments on the same day, but it will be easier to remember ONE date instead of two.