Personal Health : An Overweight Partner Can Sabotage the Best Diet Plan
Unsuccessful dieters often cite chocolate desserts, cruise ship menus or, alas, a simple lack of willpower as the most potent diet busters. Now researchers find pudgy partners rank up there with ice cream sundaes.
Researchers David R. Black of Purdue University and William E. Threlfall of Stanford University placed 23 overweight subjects on a weight reduction program where their partners were encouraged to help the dieters lose weight, but were not expected to lose pounds themselves. The researchers found that nine subjects who lived with normal-weight partners lost an average of 28 pounds at a one-year follow-up, while 14 subjects who lived with overweight mates averaged only a 20-pound loss. The two groups--those with normal-weight partners and those with overweight--did not differ significantly in initial weight ranges or percentage overweight.
“Overweight partners might sabotage the efforts of their (dieting) partner as a way to avoid their own problem (of being overweight) and maintain the status quo of the relationship,” says Albert R. Marston, a USC professor of psychology and psychiatry. Normal-weight partners, on the other hand, often inspire success, he says, by acting as positive role models and encouraging physical activity.
Dieters can lose weight in spite of a pudgy partner, Marston insists. Here’s how:
--Ask your partner for praise, instead of nagging. “People trying to help overweight people lose weight often need to be taught how,” Marston reasons.
--If some family members eat foods forbidden for the dieter, insist the goodies be segregated on a separate shelf of the cupboard or refrigerator.
--Don’t compete with an overweight partner. Setting up a race to see who can lose the most weight the fastest is a common but foolhardy practice, Marston says. “Instead, create a joint weight-oss program with rewards dependent on both partners reaching a weight-loss goal.”
The Mold Menace
Pollen counts in Los Angeles are lower than usual this summer. So why are so many of us still sniffly, sneezy and bleary-eyed?
Blame your misery on mold levels--they’re about twice as high as usual, according to Dr. Sheldon Spector, a Brentwood allergist and UCLA clinical professor of medicine. “Whenever humidity is high, mold levels are high,” he says.
Outdoors, the spores of molds--parasitic, microscopic plants without roots or leaves that float in the air just like pollen, irritating nasal passages--are plentiful in soil and rotting wood. Indoors, they thrive in attics, bathrooms, refrigerators, garbage containers, carpets and upholstery.
For patients with severe mold allergies, injections may be needed, but, for those with moderate cases, do-it-yourself measures may suffice. Fix leaky faucets, clean refrigerators, and clear the vegetation around your house. Pay particular attention to your bedroom. Cover the mattress, pillows and box springs with special coverings designed to inhibit dust and mold. Remove upholstered furniture. Vacuum daily. Open the closet and put a small lamp inside. “The more heat, the less moisture in the air,” notes Dr. Alan Szeftel, an allergist at St. John’s Hospital and Health Center, Santa Monica.
When redecorating, consider adding mold-retardant, available at paint supply stores, to the paint. “Don’t wallpaper bathrooms,” warns Szeftel, “even though some wallpapers have mold-inhibitors. Paint instead.”
Forget about escaping to the beach for comfort, experts add. It’s another haven for molds.
