How a Dietary Journey Affects Your Partner

Source: Pixabay/Vidmir Raic

I’ve noticed that when my partner starts to focus on his health, I tend to follow suit, even if we don’t explicitly discuss the desire to monitor our food and up our exercise regimen. In addition, it appears that when we support one another in our weight-loss endeavors, we are more likely to commit to the process. Is this some sort of subconscious competitive but also supportive drive, or are we unintentionally mirroring one another’s behaviors? What effect does the health consciousness of one partner have on the other?

The Research

The research in this area is fascinating, describing the tendency for the weight loss or weight loss behaviors in one partner to affect those of the other partner as a ripple effect. The idea in both is that the change in one partner extends to his/her loved ones.

Gorin et al. (2018) conducted a study analyzing 130 dyads to examine how one spouse can affect the other when it comes to weight loss. The dyads were randomly assigned to Weight Watchers or a self-guided control group and were assessed at the study's outset and at three- and six-month follow-ups. Those in the self-guided control group were given a weight loss handout. In each of the conditions, one member of the dyad participated in the weight-loss regimen, while the other did not receive treatment. Results demonstrated that the untreated spouses lost weight at three and six months and that there was no difference between the wives of those in the Weight Watchers or self-guided groups. This suggests a ripple effect when it comes to weight loss.

Gorin et al. (2018) also share that the lack of difference between the untreated spouses in the two conditions suggests that this ripple effect occurs in highly structured and low-structured weight loss situations. Finally, in mapping, the trajectories of the couples, Gorin et al. (2018) found that “…across both treatment conditions, spouses’ weights were similar at study entry and also changed in similar ways over time."

Another study by Golant et al. (2010) examined the Dietary Intervention Randomized Controlled Trial (DIRECT), a weight loss trial that took place over two years. Husbands were assigned to either a low-fat, Mediterranean, or low-carbohydrate diet. Their wives attended support meetings about their partner’s diets during the first six months and were followed for two years. Results demonstrated that the spouses of participants participating in DIRECT lost significantly more weight than those whose spouses did not participate.

Across all dietary groups, the women who attended support meetings showed improvement in their dietary patterns (following the diet their husbands were assigned to). For example, there was a significant decrease in carbohydrate consumption for the women married to men in the low-carbohydrate group. Additionally, there was a correlation between the weight loss of the two partners.

Regarding the husband, DIRECT participants whose spouses took part in the support group meetings lost significantly more weight than those whose spouses did not participate. This suggests that interventions aimed at the family may be better suited than weight loss interventions focused solely on the individual. Additionally, a wife’s belief that her husband would be successful was a significant predictor of her husband’s weight loss during the first six months. This underscores the importance of family support in the weight loss journey.

The research demonstrates that the weight-loss journey of one member of a dyad can affect the other member. There is a ripple effect in that the diet followed by one member can influence the eating patterns of those not on the diet. Beyond that, the support offered by the non-dieter may play an integral role in the dieter’s weight loss. From either perspective, it is clear that the weight-loss process extends beyond the individual.