Couples Who Like Each are Healthier - Smooch!

Who says a fish and a human can't be happy?

Pick a winner.

Remember that date you went on with that gorgeous guy you met at the grocery store last week? You're carts bumped, your eyes met and the next thing you know you're playing footsie under a table in a dark restaurant. Turns out this guy smokes, dabbles in a little Michael Phelps illegal activity, drinks like a fish and loves fried food. Cute, huh? Nope, think again. If you wanna stay the healthy vibrant beauty that you are, better keep away from this brooding hottie.

But whhhhya?! This man is hotter than noon in August. Why ever should you pull yourself away from such a catch? Turns out, according to researchers, this "catch" is gonna drag you down - BIG time!

Surprise, surprise. When two people marry or engage in a relationship, their behaviors become similar. A study of new couples found that a person's health behaviors before marriage directly influenced those same behaviors in their better half years after the honeymoon. Why? Commitment typically suggests shared meals, activity levels, income, and social scenes.

Coupledom equals compromise and that means shared behaviors. But hopefully, that compromise errs on the side of health, not an extra scoop of Rocky Road. Mmmm. Ice cream...

Furthermore, the study found that partners often suffered from the same medical conditions, such as, stroke, arthritis, asthma and depression. Another study found that an individual's risk of hypertension doubles if their spouse is diagnosed with the disorder.  

The moral of this story? While opposites might attract, they don't mesh. Pick someone who you're both romantically attracted to, and who you won't wanna kill after three months of cohabitation. The more daily activities and beliefs you have in common, the more identity crisis full days and unwise behaviors you can avoid.