I Promised to Grow Old With You Not Obese!

October 6, 6:48 PMRelationship ExaminerKristen Houghton

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University researchers who study obesity have found that married couples gain more weight as the years of marriage progress. On average, a couple married ten years weighs fifteen to twenty pounds more than they did on their wedding day. There are two specific reasons for this. One is that they develop a style of eating that has become a bonding experience for them. The second reason is that few couples do even moderate exercise, either together or individually.

Contrary to the “beautiful couples” we see on magazine covers, the average couple falls into the category of mild to morbid obesity. Besides contributing to health problems, the weight can make us feel unattractive and sluggish. There are activities we may want to do as a couple but with the extra weight, we’re too lethargic to do them.

If you can’t bring yourself to make life changes in eating and exercise for yourself, you might consider doing it as a gift to your spouse. Do it together. Helping your husband or wife get on the right track physically is the real gift that keeps on giving. In this case a healthier body can give you more years together as a couple.

Creating a healthier diet through small changes is not as difficult as starting an exercise program. Buying foods that are good for us is an easier project than tackling a program that gets you and your spouse moving.

Exercising is something that most of us try to avoid. We procrastinate, we hesitate; we find every excuse we possibly can to get out of exercising. Even though we know how good it is for us and how good it makes us feel, we always find ways not to do it.

The problem is that not every exercise is right for everyone. There’s no “generic brand.” Find something that you both like to do. You will never stick with a program or series of exercises that you dread doing. You need to look forward to the movement, not see it as punishment.

If you and your spouse like baseball, hit the batting cages. If tennis seems like something you might enjoy, find a couple of rackets and volley. You’re not at Wimbledon facing a tennis pro; hit the ball back and forth easily.

Want to be a real couple at the next family wedding? Sign up for some adult dance classes and get out on the dance floor. Do you like biking? Get a couple of used bikes and find a bike path. Do something, do it slowly, but do it!

Eat well and exercise according to your abilities. You’ll be surprised at what a great boost this can be to your self-esteem and that of your spouse.

You promised to grow old together; make those years healthy and active.

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