14 DAY TRIAL // It just so happens that, when it comes to shaking a bad habit like smoking or eating donuts and drinking soda long after midnight, there is truth by the bucket in the old saying that what monkeys see, monkeys do. Or so argues a new study signed, sealed and delivered by Cancer Research UK scientists.
The study in question, published in yesterday's issue of the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, makes a case of how both men and women are likely to have an easier time ditching a bad habit in favor of a healthy one if their boo does so as well.
What the Cancer Research UK specialists mean to say is that your average guy or gal is sure to be more successful in making positive changes in their life and get back in shape if their better half gets behind the program and agrees to turn their daily routine topsy-turvy too.
Getting in shape works best if you do it in two
In the JAMA Internal Medicine report detailing their work, the scientists behind this study detail that, as part of their investigation, they monitored a total of 3,722 couples over the age of 50 who were either married or simply living together without having yet gotten their papers in order.
When it came to smoking, women were found to have better odds to shake off the habit if their partners did so as well. Thus, 50% of the female smokers involved in the study managed to quit together with their boo. The success rate among women married to or living with a smoker was one of just 8%.
Mind you, the men who agreed to take part in this research project were also found to be influenced by the behavior of their life partners in the sense that they found it easier to quit smoking or stick to a diet if their spouse made the same changes in their lifestyle.
What this Cancer Research UK study teaches us
As explained by specialist Jane Wardle, the outcome of this investigation just goes to show that, when trying to get back in shape by going on a diet or giving up smoking once and for all, it's always best to embark on such an endeavor not alone, but together with a partner, be it a spouse of even a friend.
In fact, Jane Wardle and fellow researchers argue that, all things considered, there is no reason joining a support group should not work just as well. After all, the idea is to have somebody be there by your side and encourage you to keep going when times get rough.
“Now is the time to make New Year’s resolutions to quit smoking, take exercise, or lose weight. And doing it with your partner increases your chances of success,” Cancer Research UK specialist Sarah Jackson explained in a recent interview.
“Getting some support can help people take up good habits. For example if you want to lose weight and have a friend or colleague who’s trying to do the same thing you could encourage each other by joining up for a run or a swim at lunchtime or after work,” added researcher Julie Sharp.