Vitality

By Denise Schipani

For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health-your marriage vows hinted that you'd face hurdles along the way, but successfully navigating them as a couple can be harder than it seems. Whether it's because one of you becomes the caretaker of an aging parent, or because you have to uproot your family and move cross-country, major life transitions can put a strain on any relationship. But whatever stressor or life upheaval you're going through, "It matters less what the problem actually is, and more how you deal with it," says Samantha Litzinger, PhD, clinical program director of the Supporting Healthy Relationships program at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. With this in mind, we spoke with experts to discover ways to navigate nine common life transitions together-and come out as a stronger couple on the other side.

1. You have your first child.

Anyone with kids can tell you that having a baby changes everything. But couples continue to

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For decades, smoking has been blamed for being the number one cause of cancer in the United States. What most people don't know, reports the American Cancer Society (ACS), is that current research shows obesity is just as much of a risk factor. The ACS estimates that about one third of the 500,000 cancer deaths a year are related to physical activity and diet and another third are tobacco related. If current trends for smoking and obesity continue, obesity will soon overtake tobacco use as the number one preventable cause of cancer.

Related: 10 Reasons to quit smoking

More than sixty percent of Americans are overweight or obese. The public health implications of the obesity epidemic and its relation to cancer are wide reaching and more challenging to address than smoking. As Colleen Doyle, spokesperson for the ACS points out, "Its easier to target smoking, no one needs to smoke. Every one needs to eat." Tackling obesity involves increasing access to healthy food, town planning

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When you're talking about Olympic athletes, it's safe to say that fitness has always been part of their lifestyle. But even gold medalists like skating legend Michelle Kwan and gymnastics champion Dominique Dawes say they've gone through not-so-healthy times.

"There are many moments when I haven't made smart decisions and it's affected me," Dawes told Yahoo! Shine. She retired from professional gymnastics competition in 2000 and now works as a motivational speaker. "There have been months when I was not working out, when I was feeling depressed, when I was putting on pounds, when I wasn't feeling good about myself, when I wasn't productive in any aspect of my life. If I get out there, moving and eating right I feel better, can be more productive."

"I'm guilty of some of the things everybody else is guilty of," admits Kwan, who travels the world as a diplomatic envoy with the State Department now. "Eating sweets and fattening foods and not cutting out salt. Over time, you create bet

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