Skip navigation

 Login or Register | Member Centre

What's your diet doing to your spouse?

HAYLEY MICK

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 10:36 PM EDT 31/03/08

A new study by Ontario researchers shines a light on the plight of the dieter's significant other ...Read the full article

This conversation is closed

  1. Sue City from Canada writes: "Another proffered impossible-to-resist glasses of wine, which, of course, led to cheese and crackers..." Give me a break. If you choose to eat, it's your own decision.
  2. B H from Toronto, Canada writes: Sure it's ultimately their own decision, but it's still not very kind to go out of your way to make it harder for someone, when you could be helping.
  3. umberto umeboshi from COTU, Canada writes: As an aside, green beans are good eating. They're sweet (tho' not sugary like cola), can be locally farmed in Canada, and good for you too. Rice cakes they're not! Sometimes - as with pears, salmon, and green beans - there is no need to compromise taste for nutrition/calorie wisdom.
  4. Katherine R from Canada writes: umberto umeboshi from COTU: give me a break! Are you going to sit and eat green beans during a movie? what about dessert? I agree that healthy food need not be bland (I am vegetarian but eat extremely well), but there are many moments in life when food is a key part of enjoying the occasion. Green beans just don't cut it at the movies, at birthday parties, Halloween, Easter, and countless other events that are part of our lives. It is during these times that it is tough for dieters if they want to feel a part of things.

    I pity the poor dieters who don't have the support at home. The level of deprivation one feels on a diet is proportionate to how successful the diet will be. If one feels deprived all the time when their spouse eats a bag of cookies in front of them, it must be miserable...
  5. Joseph T from Victoria, Canada writes: Easy. I told my wife if she did not join in my fitness and diet program, I will find another woman to join me instead. She was pissed at first. But it work. She joined me. And we are now both happier for it!
  6. Henry Allen from East Bank, Don River, Canada writes: Come on, folks, it's all based on mutual love and respect between life partners. After I had heart surgery in '95, I had to significantly change my eating habits. I told my wife I could do this if we worked on it together. In other words, I could eat healthy but it had to taste good. So, we worked on it together to learn to prepare great-tasting, heart-healthy meals. Since then, my wife began steadily gaining weight because of a hysterctomy that drastically changed her metabolism. Even small amounts of carbohydrates quickly add pounds. So, we're now working on adapting our meals again. It's worth it if you love each other, and the trick is to turn it into a fun challenge for exploring new, great-tasting food. I've always believed the highest form of intelligence is successful adaptation.
  7. Hart Oldenburg from winnipeg, Canada writes: Eating "healthy"? Who in hell owns the credential. the knowledge, the authority to specify food quality and value? The answer is brutally simple--- with obesity advancing unchecked for decades--NOBODY!.
    Born out of simplistic notions--fat from fat---greens for real food--- grains to slim? And to persist on promoting, prolonging failure!
    The motivation? Cold cash! "Healthy " eating, organics, water-- labels sell at a premium! The con of the century!
  8. M L from Canada writes: Hopefully those who choose to make healthier eating choices will have the support they need. I suspect the significant others who attempt to 'sabotage' their partners efforts may feel threatened. They are comfortable with that person's image and know damn well what others think of them. If they are putting in a true effort to improve themselves and feel good about themselves -- good on them! Perhaps for those who are being undermined in their efforts should use that as their motivation. Then they will (perhaps smugly) voice their opinions on their partners... um... slightly tight jeans... ;) Katherine R -- agreed on your point about it being difficult to maintain the good eating habits on holidays, going out with family and friends, etc. The social setting we find ourselves in certainly has its pressures... a treat now and then is good so that we don't feel deprived... but that can be a slippery slope for many. Start with good habits at home -- especially for the kids -- if the significant other refuses to eat healthy for themselves, perhaps setting a good example for their children will motivate them. No one has to be good all the time but the general impression should be that of good, healthy choices. Get outside with the kids, don't park it on the couch... lots we can all do to feel better. And with all the stess we live with-who doesn't want to feel more energetic-not lethargic all the time.
  9. Anne Onymous from Port Carling, Canada writes: The problem seems to be that no one diet suits all people. If a couple are both of the same body type, with the same sensitivities and responses to the same foods, then, no problem. However where one person can eat with impunity things that affect the other adversely, then there are bound to be problems.
  10. W R from Stratford, PE, Canada writes: Henry Allen from East Bank, Don River, Canada writes: Come on, folks, it's all based on mutual love and respect between life partners. After I had heart surgery in '95, I had to significantly change my eating habits.

    As someone who also just had heart surgery I'm wondering what habits you really had to change. Unless you were grossly overweight or lived on fried foods, sugary cakes etc. the changes shouldn't have been that drastic. Just a switch to a more sensible balanced diet for me.
  11. Dan Thomas from Canada writes: Sticking to the same diet as my wife is very difficult. I miss the foods I used to enjoy. Not only is the missing out on foods a problem, but I have to eat outside the house to avoid excessive weight loss. Right there is the biggest issue, I feel guilty about losing weight so easily, I know it frustrates her to have to put so much more dedication and effort into weight loss. But I stand by her 100%.

Comments are closed

Thanks for your interest in commenting on this article, however we are no longer accepting submissions. If you would like, you may send a letter to the editor.

Report an abusive comment to our editorial staff

close

Alert us about this comment

Please let us know if this reader’s comment breaks the editor's rules and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.

Do not use this to complain about comments that don’t break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.

Back to top