Losing weight is a challenging feat all on its own, so we start to
think who better than our significant other to join us in the battle of
the bulge.
This plan may backfire, however, because, according to a recent study published in the journal Eating Behaviors, a couple that diets together actually fails separately.
“In my case, this was true, as I felt much less confident about being able to limit my portions than did the Consultant over the holiday, particularly during meals when my mother was present,” wrote author of the study Jennifer Jill Harman about her couple's dieting experience in the blog Science of Relationships.
Harman admitted she generally does well controlling her food portions, but she tended to consume larger portion sizes of leftovers while her family was still visiting. She believes the portion size, not the holiday meal, is the root of the problem.
To observe the eating behaviors of individuals and couples, and how much self-efficacy they have in controlling their food portions, Hill and her colleagues from Colorado State University conducted a brief survey.
They asked people how much they agreed with statements like, “When eating out with friends, they influence how much I eat” and “I feel confident that I can leave food on my plate if I think a serving size is too large,” according to her blog.
This survey was able to measure not only someone’s belief that they could control their food portions while alone, but whether they were able to in the presence of others.
The findings for this part of the study revealed women are generally less confident than men in their ability to control their portions, and women judge their food portions to be larger than men do. Hill suspects this has to do with the fact that women are more concerned with their weight than men are.
The more successful a partner was at regulating his or her diet and eating healthier, the less confident the other partner felt in controlling his or her own food portions.
It seems when people strive to reach a goal with a close someone who is successful at it, they begin to feel less confident in their own efforts to reach the goal.
According to Hill, it all comes down to “People feel less confident achieving their goals when they see others succeeding at the same goals.” CONTINUE READING
MEDICALDAILY
This plan may backfire, however, because, according to a recent study published in the journal Eating Behaviors, a couple that diets together actually fails separately.
“In my case, this was true, as I felt much less confident about being able to limit my portions than did the Consultant over the holiday, particularly during meals when my mother was present,” wrote author of the study Jennifer Jill Harman about her couple's dieting experience in the blog Science of Relationships.
Harman admitted she generally does well controlling her food portions, but she tended to consume larger portion sizes of leftovers while her family was still visiting. She believes the portion size, not the holiday meal, is the root of the problem.
To observe the eating behaviors of individuals and couples, and how much self-efficacy they have in controlling their food portions, Hill and her colleagues from Colorado State University conducted a brief survey.
They asked people how much they agreed with statements like, “When eating out with friends, they influence how much I eat” and “I feel confident that I can leave food on my plate if I think a serving size is too large,” according to her blog.
This survey was able to measure not only someone’s belief that they could control their food portions while alone, but whether they were able to in the presence of others.
The findings for this part of the study revealed women are generally less confident than men in their ability to control their portions, and women judge their food portions to be larger than men do. Hill suspects this has to do with the fact that women are more concerned with their weight than men are.
A Couple Who Diets Together...
The researchers, who also assessed 50 overweight romantic couples who made New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, found those who diet together generally fail separately.The more successful a partner was at regulating his or her diet and eating healthier, the less confident the other partner felt in controlling his or her own food portions.
It seems when people strive to reach a goal with a close someone who is successful at it, they begin to feel less confident in their own efforts to reach the goal.
According to Hill, it all comes down to “People feel less confident achieving their goals when they see others succeeding at the same goals.” CONTINUE READING
MEDICALDAILY
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