Sacramento, Calif. – “Didn’t you just eat a few hours ago?” “Do you really need to eat that?” “Do you know how fattening that is?” Cynthia Sass, co-author of “Your Diet Is Driving Me Crazy,” says launching any one of those questions is asking for a rumble.
Dropping the ultimate f-bomb, as in “You’re getting fat,” isn’t tough love; it’s grounds for divorce.
“Money and sex aren’t the only things that break up a relationship,” says Sass, a registered dietitian in Tampa, Fla.
“Food can too. Anything that is critical or embarrassing can start a fight. It’s like a slap in the face.”
Enduring a diet is painful enough without your partner playing the role of insensitive food cop. Couples need guidance in dealing with potentially volatile food issues, according to Sass, who wrote the book with Denise Maher.
“You don’t want your partner constantly looking over your shoulder, telling you what’s good for you,” says Sass. “You’ll feel like a child, and it builds up anger.” Sass doesn’t even believe in dieting as a reliable weight-control strategy. Instead, she recommends lifestyle changes.
Either way, there could be trouble ahead.
For instance, John brings home chocolate-raspberry cake as Mary is teetering on her 1,200-calorie-a-day diet. Sue has committed to healthful eating, yet Sam insists on treating her to Baskin-Robbins every Thursday night. Consciously or subconsciously, both are diet sabotage.
“Your partner may be worried that you’re not happy with the relationship or think you’re looking for another partner,” says Sass. “They want the old routines back, like pizza on Sundays.
