Couples who decide to get healthy together are more likely to be successful, suggests a new study.

一項新研究顯示，決心共同為健康而努力的夫妻，成功的可能性更大。

Researchers found people are more successful in taking up healthy habits if their partner makes positive changes too.

研究者發現，如果配偶也能積極改變，人們能更成功地形成健康的習慣。

Scientists at University College London (UCL) looked at how likely people were to quit smoking or lose weight in relation to what their partner did.

英國倫敦大學學院（ULC）的科學家們觀察了人們在戒煙和減肥等問題上的表現，并研究了這些表現與配偶行為之間的關聯。

The findings, published in the journal Internal Medicine, show that people were more successful in swapping bad habits for good ones if their partner made a change as well.

該研究結果發表在《內科雜志》上。研究顯示，如果配偶也能有所改變，人們就更容易戒掉壞習慣，培養好習慣。

Among women who smoked, 50 percent managed to quit if their partner gave up smoking too at the same time, compared with 17 percent of women whose partners were already non-smokers, and eight per cent of those whose partners were regular smokers.

女性吸煙者中，50%的女性能成功與配偶同時戒煙，17%的女性能在配偶不吸煙的情況下戒煙，而只有8%的女性能在配偶吸煙的情況下成功戒煙。

The study found that men were equally affected by their partners and were more likely to quit smoking or lose weight if their partner made the same behaviour change.

研究還發現，男性也同樣會受到配偶影響。如果配偶也在努力作出改變，他們就也很有可能成功戒煙或是減肥。

The research looked at 3,722 couples, either married or living together and over the age of 50.

共有3722對夫妻參與了此次研究，包括已婚和同居的配偶，也有50歲以上的人。

Study co-author Professor Jane Wardle, director of Cancer Research UK's Health Behaviour Research Centre at UCL, said: 'Unhealthy lifestyles are a leading cause of death from chronic disease worldwide.

研究的合作者、倫敦大學學院英國癌癥研究院健康行為研究中心主任簡·沃爾德教授表示：“在全世界范圍內，不健康的生活方式都是導致患慢性疾病致死的一個主要原因?！?/p>

'The key lifestyle risks are smoking, excess weight, physical inactivity, poor diet, and alcohol consumption.

“生活中主要的威脅就是吸煙、超重、缺乏運動、不良飲食以及酗酒。”

'Swapping bad habits for good ones can reduce the risk of disease, including cancer.'

“改掉壞習慣，養成好習慣能降低疾病的威脅，包括癌癥。”

Dr Sarah Jackson, lead author of the study at UCL, said: 'Now is the time to make New Year's resolutions to quit smoking, take exercise, or lose weight.

薩拉·杰克森博士是倫敦大學學院這項研究的首席作者，他說：“是時候制定新年目標了，不管是戒煙、參加鍛煉，或是減肥?！?/p>

'And doing it with your partner increases your chances of success.'

“別忘了拉上你的配偶，增加你成功的機會！”

Vocabulary

swap: 交換

quit: 退出

non-smoker: 不吸煙的人

chronic: 慢性的

inactivity: 不活動

（譯者：gaoxiaomi 編輯：欽君）