Thelife
- Over a third of people admit to making New Year's resolutions for their partner.
- These include eating healthier, losing weight, and exercising.
- According to a study from Bupa, the average person worries about their partner's health twice a week.
- Two thirds of the nation even admit they put their loved one's health ahead of their own all year round.
Health is a common theme when making New Year's resolutions. But we normally tend to think of them as a way of bettering ourselves.
According to a survey by Bupa Health Clinics, millions of people in the UK will be setting goals for their partners, too.
Bupa asked 2,000 adults about their resolution habits, and found that 37% confessed to coming up with one for their other half. More men admitted to the trend, at 44% compared to 30% of women.
Most suggestions for the new year were eating healthier (44%), losing weight (435), and to exercise (36%). But other health issues were concerns too, with 25% wanting their partner to be less stressed, and 15% asking them to make more time for their home life with an improved work-life balance.
Two thirds of people said they worry about their partner's health throughout the year, with the average person worrying about it more than twice a week. Two thirds of the nation even admitted to putting their loved one's health ahead of their own all year round.
About 30% of respondents said they talk to their other half on a weekly basis about their health, and nearly two thirds admitted to sneakily making changes to try and improve their partner's health, like swapping food for low-fat options, or hiding treats.
"The research shows that people put more focus on their loved ones' health at the cost of their own," said Dr Petra Simic, the clinical director at Bupa Health Clinics.
"It's wonderful to see what a caring nation we are, but it's important to understand that looking after ourselves actually gives us the ability to look after others, and is just as important. Regardless of the time of year, couples can work together on setting goals and helping each other to achieve them."
Here are the top 10 concerns people had about the health of their other halves:
1. Getting stressed easily (30%)
2. Not sleeping enough (29%)
3. Niggling ailments like back pain or a persistent cough (26%)
4. Doing no exercise (24%)
5. Working too hard (22%)
6. Being overweight (22%)
7. Eating too much junk food (17%)
8. Drinking alcohol regularly (15%)
9. Rarely walking anywhere (14%)
10. High blood pressure (14%)