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Spousal Influence on Healthy Behaviors
Marriage typically involves a lot of sharing - sharing of a household, sharing finances, and often sharing child-rearing responsibilities. Researchers have begun to explore the extent to which married couples share healthy (or unhealthy) behaviors as a potential strategy to increase physical activity and improve dietary habits that may eventually help ward off lifestyle related chronic diseases.
A recent study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health used questionnaires to determine married couples’ physical activity by looking at their sport/exercise index and their leisure index.[1] Over six years, a change in physical activity in one spouse was positively associated with the other spouse. If one spouse was meeting physical activity recommendations at the first visit, the other spouse was significantly more likely to also meet the physical activity recommendations. Men who were not physically active at the first visit were more likely to begin meeting recommendations if their spouse met the physical activity recommendations at their first and last visits.
When it comes dietary habits, some findings show a similar influential relationship. In a study involving patients diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, food interaction was measured between the patients and their spouses.[2] All spouses reported that they provided some type of diet-related support in the past month. However, when the spouses pressured their partners to improve their dietary habits, this resulted in an increase in diabetes distress among patients. When the spouses shared meals with their diabetic partner, a decrease in diabetes distress occurred. In a comparison between pressuring a spouse to eat healthy versus actually sharing meals, the shared meals showed a significant reduction in stress for the patients.
We influence people close to us whether we realize it or not. When a couple spends a lot of time together, they tend to take on each other’s habits, both good and bad. By taking part in regular physical activity and making healthy dietary choices, you may not only be improving your own health, but also that of your partner.
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 Cereals
Cereal is derived from the word ‘ceres’ who was the ancient Roman goddess of agriculture. Cereals, also known as grains, are seeds of plants cultivated for food for many years.[3] When they are kept whole they include the germ, bran, and endosperm. These “whole grains” are typically rich in fiber, hence the term cereal fiber.
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health have been studying the effect of cereal fiber on the diet for years. One study included 367,442 participants who were part of the NIH-AARP Diet and Healthy Study. Participants were excluded if they had cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or end-stage renal disease at baseline. Of the remaining participants, those who reported a diet high in cereal had a 19% reduced risk of death compared to those who ate the least amount of cereal fiber. Researchers also found that the high fiber cereal eaters had a 34% lower risk of death from diabetes and a 15% reduced risk of death from cancer.
Researchers from this study concluded that cereal fiber could be one component to a healthy death-preventing diet. Whole grain cereals have been shown to benefit human health by supporting weight loss, insulin sensitivity, and lipid profiles. It is recommended that half of your grain intake should consist of whole grains. Men and women age 50 and younger should consume 38 and 25 grams of fiber per day, while those aged 51 and over should consume 30 and 21 grams of fiber each day, respectively. These findings demonstrate that including a whole grain cereal as part of your regular diet could provide a myriad of health benefits.[4]
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 Working Out at Work
As people are spending more and more time at their desks, new methods for increasing physical activity during the workday are gaining popularity. The use of a stability ball instead of an office chair has become a common sight in many workplaces. However, researchers have found that energy expenditure while sitting on a stability ball is comparable to a typical seated position.[5] In a review comparing muscle activation between an office chair and stability ball, the majority found that there was not a significant difference in trunk activation between the two. Several other studies did find more trunk activation on the stability ball, but this was associated with increased discomfort, increased fatigue, and spinal shrinkage.[6] With minimal documented benefits for stability ball sitting, there may be other options that are more beneficial.
Standing desks, treadmill desks, and cycling desks have all shown to increase daily energy expenditure compared to seated desks.[7] There is some evidence that treadmill or cycling desks may affect finer motor skills, but more research is needed. These changes could be implemented in the workplace as well as in schools. Changes that result in very low-intense activity may be more effective in lifestyle changes compared to high-intense exercise because it offers less obstacles to implement.
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Health Matters is written by Lindsey Guthrie, MS, RD, LD/N and Tyler Guthrie, MS, CSCS.
References:
1. Cobb LK, Godino JG, Selvin E, et al. Abstract P275: Physical Activity Among Married Couples in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Circulation. 2015; 131(1): AP275.
2. Franks MM, Sahin ZS, Seiadel AJ, et al. Table for two: diabetes distress and diet-related interactions of married patients with diabetes and their spouses. Families, Systems, & Health. 2012; 30(2): 154.
3. Huang T, Xu M, Lee A, Cho S, Qi L. Consumption of whole grains and cereal fiber and total and cause-specific mortality: prospective analysis of 367,442 individuals. BMC Medicine. 2015; 13:59.
4. Dietary fiber. Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983
5. Tudor-Locke C, Shina JM, Frensham LJ, Proenca M. Changing the way we work: elevating energy expenditure with workstation alternatives. International Journal of Obesity. 2014; 38(6): 755.
6. O'Sullivan K, O’Sullivan P, O’Keefe M, O’Sullivan L, Dankaerts W. The effect of dynamic sitting on trunk muscle activation: A systematic review. Applied ergonomics. 2013; 44(4): 628.
7. Torbeyns T, Bailey S, Meeusen R. Active workstations to fight sedentary behaviour. Sports Medicine. 2014; 44(9): 1261.
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