Committing to a weight-loss program can have an unexpected benefit: Your significant other may shed some extra pounds, too, even if they aren't trying. That's what researchers found in a study on the so-called weight-loss ripple effect, published today in the journal Obesity.

致力于減肥計劃可能會帶來意想不到的收獲：你的另一半或許也能減重幾斤，即使他們根本就沒有減肥的打算。在一項有關所謂的減肥連鎖效應研究中，研究員發現了這一點，該研究于今日發表在《肥胖》雜志上。

The study, which was sponsored by Weight Watchers, tracked the progress of 130 married or cohabitating couples for six months. In all of the couples, one partner had a desire to lose weight, and both partners agreed to weigh-ins after three and six months. Half of the partners followed Weight Watchers, while the others received a four-page handout with healthy-eating and exercise tips, and were told to try to lose weight on their own.

該研究由慧儷輕體（Weight Watchers）贊助，在6個月的時間內對130位已婚或同居情侶的減肥情況進行跟進。在所有情侶中，一方有意愿減肥，雙方都同意三個月和六個月后各稱一次體重。一半的情侶遵循慧儷輕體機構的減肥方法，其余情侶則收到了一份四頁紙的健康飲食和鍛煉建議，研究員讓他們憑自己的努力減肥。

The researchers wanted to see if one approach would work better than the other. As it turns out, they were both effective, and everyone involved lost weight. After three months, those in the Weight Watchers group had lost more weight (about 7.4 pounds versus 4.3 pounds), but by the end of the trial, both groups had lost about 14 pounds.

研究員想了解一種方法是否比另一種方法更好。結果表明，這兩種方法都很有效，每個受試者都瘦了。3個月后，慧儷輕體組的情侶減重更多（大約是7.4磅對比4.3磅），但研究最后，兩組人員幾乎都減掉了14磅。

On average, people whose partners joined Weight Watchers lost about 3.3 pounds in the first three months, and about 4.9 pounds over the full six-month study. Those whose partners were given a self-guided weight-loss approach had lost about 2.1 pounds at the three-month check-in, and 4.2 pounds at six months. Because of the study's margin of error, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant.

平均而言，起初的三個月內，另一半在慧儷輕體組的受試者大約瘦了3.3磅，6個月的實驗結束后，這些人瘦了約4.9磅。另一半用自我指導方法減肥的受試者在起初的三個月內大約瘦了2.1磅，6個月時瘦了4.2磅。由于研究誤差，兩組間的數據差異無統計意義。

Lead author Amy Gorin, PhD, a professor of psychological sciences at the University of Connecticut, said in a press release that when one person changes their behavior, it's not unusual for the people around them to change, as well. When one partner starts counting calories, weighing themselves regularly, or making healthier food choices, for example, their partners might emulate them.

康涅狄格大學的心理科學教授、首席作者艾米·戈林博士在一次資訊發布會中說道，當一個人改變自己的行為之后，身邊的人通常也會做出行為變化。比如，當情侶中的某一方開始計算卡路里攝入量、定期稱體重、或者吃更健康的食物時，他們的另一半可能會模仿他們。

Four or five pounds may not seem like a lot. But by the end of the study, about a third of the "untreated" partners in the study had lost more than 3% of their initial body weight, which the experts say has measurable health benefits.

4至5磅好像沒什么影響。但研究最后，研究中約三分之一"沒有活動的"伴侶幾乎減掉了原有體重的3%以上，專家表示這是可測量的健康效益。

Committing to a weight-loss program can have an unexpected benefit: Your significant other may shed some extra pounds, too, even if they aren't trying. That's what researchers found in a study on the so-called weight-loss ripple effect, published today in the journal Obesity.

致力于減肥計劃可能會帶來意想不到的收獲：你的另一半或許也能減重幾斤，即使他們根本就沒有減肥的打算。在一項有關所謂的減肥連鎖效應研究中，研究員發現了這一點，該研究于今日發表在《肥胖》雜志上。

The study, which was sponsored by Weight Watchers, tracked the progress of 130 married or cohabitating couples for six months. In all of the couples, one partner had a desire to lose weight, and both partners agreed to weigh-ins after three and six months. Half of the partners followed Weight Watchers, while the others received a four-page handout with healthy-eating and exercise tips, and were told to try to lose weight on their own.

該研究由慧儷輕體（Weight Watchers）贊助，在6個月的時間內對130位已婚或同居情侶的減肥情況進行跟進。在所有情侶中，一方有意愿減肥，雙方都同意三個月和六個月后各稱一次體重。一半的情侶遵循慧儷輕體機構的減肥方法，其余情侶則收到了一份四頁紙的健康飲食和鍛煉建議，研究員讓他們憑自己的努力減肥。

The researchers wanted to see if one approach would work better than the other. As it turns out, they were both effective, and everyone involved lost weight. After three months, those in the Weight Watchers group had lost more weight (about 7.4 pounds versus 4.3 pounds), but by the end of the trial, both groups had lost about 14 pounds.

研究員想了解一種方法是否比另一種方法更好。結果表明，這兩種方法都很有效，每個受試者都瘦了。3個月后，慧儷輕體組的情侶減重更多（大約是7.4磅對比4.3磅），但研究最后，兩組人員幾乎都減掉了14磅。

On average, people whose partners joined Weight Watchers lost about 3.3 pounds in the first three months, and about 4.9 pounds over the full six-month study. Those whose partners were given a self-guided weight-loss approach had lost about 2.1 pounds at the three-month check-in, and 4.2 pounds at six months. Because of the study's margin of error, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant.

平均而言，起初的三個月內，另一半在慧儷輕體組的受試者大約瘦了3.3磅，6個月的實驗結束后，這些人瘦了約4.9磅。另一半用自我指導方法減肥的受試者在起初的三個月內大約瘦了2.1磅，6個月時瘦了4.2磅。由于研究誤差，兩組間的數據差異無統計意義。

Lead author Amy Gorin, PhD, a professor of psychological sciences at the University of Connecticut, said in a press release that when one person changes their behavior, it's not unusual for the people around them to change, as well. When one partner starts counting calories, weighing themselves regularly, or making healthier food choices, for example, their partners might emulate them.

康涅狄格大學的心理科學教授、首席作者艾米·戈林博士在一次資訊發布會中說道，當一個人改變自己的行為之后，身邊的人通常也會做出行為變化。比如，當情侶中的某一方開始計算卡路里攝入量、定期稱體重、或者吃更健康的食物時，他們的另一半可能會模仿他們。

Four or five pounds may not seem like a lot. But by the end of the study, about a third of the "untreated" partners in the study had lost more than 3% of their initial body weight, which the experts say has measurable health benefits.

4至5磅好像沒什么影響。但研究最后，研究中約三分之一"沒有活動的"伴侶幾乎減掉了原有體重的3%以上，專家表示這是可測量的健康效益。