Feature Story

March 25, 2008

Partners Can Help or Hinder Attempts at Changing Diet

From EurekAlert! - Breaking News:

For people trying to make a change in their diet, significant others generally play a positive and supportive role, but sometimes respond in negative ways, according to a study in the March/April Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (http://www.jneb.org/).

Led by Judy Paisley, Ph.D., R.D., of Ryerson University, Toronto, the researchers looked at how significant others responded when their partners attempted to make a dietary change for health reasons. "For most pairs, the significant others' emotional and behavioral responses to the dietary change appeared to reflect the general dynamics of the relationship," says Dr. Paisley.

The researchers conducted interviews with 21 people making dietary changes—most in response to a medical diagnosis—and with their partners or significant others. "By examining the perspectives of significant others, we hoped to deepen understanding of the social nature of dietary change," Dr. Paisley explains.

The partners' emotional responses varied widely: from co-operation and encouragement to skepticism and anger. In most cases, the significant others described themselves as playing a positive, supportive role. Some facilitated the change by joining in the new diet, or by changing their shopping or cooking habits. Others helped by monitoring the dietary change, finding and sharing information, or providing motivation.

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