Nagging is good for your health

[1]

It appears that nagging is good for your health, especially if you are above 30, as it acts like a constant reminder for people to lose weight or become more active, a new study has found.

The study, which was based on a series of interviews from the UK, showed that the least active people felt that constant nagging from their family - spouse or children - affected their health in a positive way.

In the study, researchers from the University of Lincoln focused on modifiable social influences on motivation towards physical activity, rather than fixed factors used to predict health such as gender and ethnicity.

These included giving impetus (by nagging); supporting progress with emotional and moral support; logistical support like looking after the kids for some time; and making activity itself a social endeavour, such as going with friends.

"The aim of this study was to help people examine their lifestyle as a whole and establish what the key factors are in influencing their activity levels," study author Dr Richard Keegan was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

"The most common barriers to active lifestyles were work, long commutes and provision of facilities. However, it became clear that if you know who to ask, it's also possible for your social network to help you become more active, for example, by going for a run with colleagues straight after work.

"The good news is that the study suggests once you are active and healthy, you no longer need nagging. Most importantly, however, the suggestion that 'nagging is good' should only be applied to getting healthy and active!"

The research is the first to address the range of social influences affecting levels of physical activity among people aged between 30 and 60.