Aggregation of diets containing fatty and sugary foods and fruit and vegetables within cohabiting couples

Marriage and cohabitation brings together two independent food choice systems. Within this new system spousal preferences have an influence on both partners’ food choices and nutritional intakes for an extended time period (Sobal et al. 2000). There is also a symbolic importance drawn from the fact that couples are eating together, as well as the complex issues of power and control over food choice, food purchase and preparation. This unit has the potential to influence eating patterns in children and may be an appropriate target for health promotion messages. Dietary data were collected from eighty pairs of cohabiting partners. The individuals ranged in age from 21.4 to 45.2 years and were living within Tyne and Wear and Northumberland (70%) and throughout the rest of the UK (30%). Food intake data were collected at the same time for each partner, between 2000 and 2001, using two 3 d food diaries compiled approximately 6 months apart. A trained nutritionist interviewed the couples within 3 d of completing each diary and quantities of foods were estimated using a photographic food atlas (Nelson et al. 1997). Foods were assigned one of five food categories from ‘The Balance of Good Health’ food guide (HEA, 1994) according to Gatenby et al. (1995)