As we are growing up, our parents influence our health, from how much they encourage us to exercise to the food they provide. As adults, we take charge of our well-being. Or do we? Researchers have discovered surprising evidence that our spouses and domestic partners might also impact our wellbeing to a degree we've never quite realized.
Our medical system in the United States focuses on treating individuals. But could treating our partners offer a new path to improving our health?
A recent study at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston analyzed what they called a “domestic unit” (people with spouses or partners). The research examined participants' cardiovascular disease risk factors, including exercise, diet, and smoking.
After looking at both partners in each unit, the researchers discovered:
Researchers concluded that we usually mirror our partners’ wellness-related behaviors. The study indicated that we typically seek out others with whom we share common patterns, such as watching a movie versus taking walks.
The study described above, combined with related research, shows that our partners have the power to influence our health in multiple ways — and we theirs. We could take this to mean that our partner can impact our health negatively but we can also choose to see it from the other side. That is, we may improve our well-being by teaming up with our partners.
Here are some suggestions for using the research data to enhance health:
Action Plan: Learning to be honest with our partners when we feel pain and reaching out might help.
Action Plan: Studies show that when we work with our partners to improve our health, we increase the likelihood of success. By going together to a nutritionist for diet help, for example, or joining a gym, couples may succeed in taking control of their diabetes.
It doesn't take much time in health groups on social media to see that partners often cite their relationships as a challenge when trying to make healthy changes and these studies may be why that is. They may also be the key to finding long-term success in making those changes if we can harness the power of our relationships to great effect. Understanding how our unions may impact both our own and our partner’s wellbeing may make those unions both healthier and happier. It’s crucial to seek medical guidance from a healthcare professional for concerns like type 2 diabetes — but maybe it's also time for doctors to consider seeing couples as a unit when trying to help them move toward greater health. It seems like our partnerships are an untapped support system that could benefit two for the price of one.
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