If you’re one of many who made a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight or just eat a healthier diet, it’s time to rip off the band-aid: It’s not always easy! But a recent study showed a way to boost your chance of success if you’re trying to consume fewer calories or simply make more health-conscious meal choices.
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This May Make Weight Loss Easier, According to a Study
A late 2024 study showed that couples who diet together lose a combined average of about nine more pounds (or about four and a half pounds each) than individuals who go at it alone.
The study, from Bournemouth University in the U.K., examined a series of previous studies on weight loss among individuals and couples with different types of interventions, including nutritional, fitness and other health advice, to assess patterns among outcomes.
“All studies eligible for inclusion consisted of lifestyle interventions offering dietary advice to achieve calorie deficit and manage specific macronutrient intake such as dietary fat and targeting behavior change,” the study authors noted. “Findings suggest that targeting the couple can reduce body weight more in comparison to targeting individuals on their own.”
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There are some caveats, however: The authors noted that some of the studies in their meta-analysis were quite small.
Still, they reported that efforts targeting couples “seem to have a small but significant effect on weight loss but less clear results on BMI.” The authors added, “Similar results have been demonstrated by a recent systematic review that explored whether couples’ interventions are more effective than individual ones in reducing weight for metabolic syndrome prevention.”
In case you’re wondering what metabolic syndrome is, you’re not alone—and what’s scary is that three in 10 Americans have it and may not even know it.
“Metabolic syndrome is made up of several components that are easy to monitor,” Dr. Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD, surgical oncologist, chief of medicine and director of the Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Program at Providence Saint John’s Cancer Institute, previously explained to Parade. These include obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high body fat percentage, a large waistline and low LDL (“good” cholesterol). To be diagnosed specifically with metabolic syndrome, you’ll have to have at least three of those factors.
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Why Losing Weight as a Couple May Be Easier Than Doing It Alone
There are a few reasons why going on a weight loss, fitness or healthy eating journey with a partner may work better than doing so by yourself. First off and maybe most obviously, you have someone at the ready to hold you accountable (and vice versa).
Secondly, if you both are aiming to have similar diets, you’re each less likely to be tempted by, say, your partner’s fries at lunch or the ice cream they stashed in the freezer, simply because those are less likely to be around. Third, you can also help motivate each other to exercise more by dragging each other to the gym or even just by going for fart walks after dinner.
Interestingly, one factor that has little impact on couples starting a new fitness or weight loss regimen together is willpower. A University of Connecticut study previously revealed that having a partner won’t necessarily improve your level of grit or willpower to get to the gym or opt for cauliflower over candy.
Still, if you’re solo, you’re not SOL. Do you have a sibling, friend, favorite cousin or cool neighbor who shares similar goals? Try meal-planning together, joining a workout class or just exercising in your living room while binging Real Housewives. (‘Tis the season for cozy cardio, after all.)
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Sources
- Dr. Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD
- “Self-control and grit: associations with weight management and healthy habits.” Journal of Behavioral Medicine.
- “The effectiveness of couples’ lifestyle interventions on weight change: A systematic review and meta-analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.” Nutrition and Health.
