The study, published in the July issue of Obesity, set out to determine how romantic relationships affect the tell-no-lies number on the scale. Researchers tracked changes over a handful of years in the weight and relationship status of 6,949 individuals, and their findings don't bode well for commitment. Not only are married people more likely to become obese than those who are just dating, but young people who move in with a boyfriend or girlfriend tend to pack on the pounds too.
And in a twist sure to tick off all the ladies in the house, the study notes that unmarried women who have been living with their sweeties for five years or less run a 63% increased risk of obesity. What about unmarried men? On average, they have no increased risk during cohabitation.
"With women, we saw incremental risk after one year," says Penny Gordon-Larsen, one of the two nutrition epidemiologists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) who conducted the study. "The longer she lived with a romantic partner, the more likely she was to keep putting on weight." Meanwhile, the risk of obesity among guys — married and unmarried — spikes only between the first and second years of living together.
What's behind the weight gain? Gordon-Larsen and the paper's lead author, Natalie The, have their theories after questioning 1,293 couples for a separate part of the study. Mealtime may become more important than it was when the people were living alone. Gym memberships may not get the same workouts they did before nuptials. And maybe, after months of prepping to squeeze into crinolined and cummerbunded finery, couples just let themselves go.
Scientists have known for a while that having a close relationship with an obese person, whether a friend or a spouse, makes you more likely to become obese. So how to break the cycle? Perhaps by drawing inspiration from the same person who helped get you into this mess: your better half. Amy Gorin, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Connecticut, published a study last year that showed if one spouse participates in a weight-loss program, the unenrolled spouse tends to lose about 5 lb. Now Gorin is exploring whether enlisting the support of spouses can help both partners shed more pounds. In June she wrapped up a 16-week pilot study of 20 couples, in one of which, the support person lost more weight than the main participant in the study.
Couples don't have to live chubbily ever after. And studies show that marriage conveys some health benefits, like living longer and being more likely to quit smoking, notes UNC's The, who lives with her boyfriend but insists her obesity findings haven't scared her away from the idea of marriage. "This is an interesting paradox," she says, "but it certainly wouldn't stop me."
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- groups:
- News, Current Tonight, LoveLife, Relationships, 3 more
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- tags:
- News, LoveLife, Relationships, Current Tonight, 4 more + add
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- singrrr
- added this
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duh.
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I dont want to be fat :O
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Dammit. I knew I could blame James for this extra 10 pounds. Now I have science backing me up!
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- harlequin_girl
- 5 months ago
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Guilty!
But my husband loves my new curves and boobs much more than he loved my previously too skinny body. So it all works out.
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What about the physical side effects of love due to evolution and biology? When women are in committed long-term relationships their bodies naturally react and prepare for reproduction. I would imagine that, for many women, at least moderate weight gain would be a result that is unavoidable no matter the psychology behind it. I just think there is probably more biology behind this than the article makes you think.
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It all comes down to satisfaction. Who does the individual have to impress... No one really.. Thats why theyre married.
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Lol, well big surprise. I don't know any married people who are not obese or somewhat depressed. How much money did they spend on this research?
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i like impressing my boyfriend, personally. and i love health food and we like sharing it too, so maybe we'll be OK.
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- MissAmanda
- 5 months ago
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Well women can't be anorexic and produce healthy babies. Maybe we should shake this unrealistic idea of what women should look like?
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blah blah blah....it comes from a shitty diet......hello?
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..Must i say it?
Well, you see ....Such slaves to the economy?
Having to eat fatty foods?
Not excersing?-
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- metalcookiesxy70
- 5 months ago
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I've maintained my weight and physique, and so has my husband. We're the same size after 2 years of marriage and 5 years of being together. It's called eating healthy and doing at least some form of exercise.
...maybe people should stop blaming other people/things for them being FAT.
It's no ones fault but the one who's gaining the weight.-
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- AnnaleeNoir
- 5 months ago
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I'll always be hot! (and, well, probably single... *cries*)
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- randallr01
- 5 months ago
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Just more excuses for people being unhealthy. First of all, weight gain as you get older is normal due to slowing metabolism...is this "study" taking that into consideration? Also what about women who have had kids and are losing the baby weight? Most people I know in their 40s dont weigh what they did in their 20s regardless of marital status.
Also AnnaleeNoir is right, couples dont have to put on weight after marriage! I have friends that have been married for years and many of them have maintained their weight and some have even gotten healthier! Its all about being aware of your body and taking care of it. My boyfriend and I both motivate each other to work out and eat healthy and as a result we've actually lost weight since we started dating! Personally when Im happy in a relationship I want to look extra sexy for my partner so I take time to take care of myself ;)
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Look at photos of normal people from 30, 40, 50, or 60 years ago. Being obese or too fat isn't "realistic". People really are fatter now. That doesn't mean they should be anorexic or muscle freaks instead, they just shouldn't be fat.
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- ozoneocean
- 5 months ago
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BTW proof that you can be married with a kid and still be sexy.
this is my super hot friend who has a 7 year old kid, shes married, has a great job and is in her 30s...last I checked she wasn't overweight or unhappy. Quite the opposite actually.
Just goes to show you, if you have the mind-frame that marriage will make you unhappy or unhealthy or whatever then you are just setting yourself up for misery. But, if you are optimistic and take care of yourself you will be the hottest MILF at the PTA meeting ;)
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Don't let yourself's go people Stay Gold.
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- TonyRivera
- 5 months ago
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For whatever it is worth, while my wife and I never crossed the "obesity threshold," there was one problematic stretch of time in that regard. It began shortly after she became pregnant with our first child. As she began eating for two, I honestly didn't notice for some time that I was eating an extra slice or two of pizza right along with her for several months. She had only one craving with that child -- Yoo Hoo chocolate drink. Fortunately, I can't stand the stuff -- though I am sure the clerk at the local grocery store thought I did. I was there several times a week, sometimes at very odd hours.
So we had to battle back for about six months after delivery...and have managed well during the 15 years since. Frankly, we look back on it now with fond amusement. That poor scale...
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It's called comfort. All my friends are getting married and they're all getting fat and none have children yet. When you are in a comfortable relationship the true motives for working out become apparent; If you gained weight you only exercised to get laid/ or find a significant other, if you stay committed to your exercise goals then your motivated by health reasons and/or continuing to to look good for your significant other. I've dated both ends of the spectrum and my routines have not changed. What it boils down to is what the person is willing to compromise in order to spend time withe the other person.
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No wonder the girls who are hot, up dancing on the bar are rail thin.
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- KaramelSwirl
- 5 months ago
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bd593,
Your points are good ones. I would only add that the analysis gets a little more complicated in the years after marriage. Sure, you can continue to hit the gym an hour each day after you are married. But marriage is, of course, just the beginning. Next, add children. Now the hour at the gym is a compromise not just between spending time there or with your wife. Then -- what is the nature of your career? Is your job 8 to 5, and you are done for the day? That makes the gym easier. Mine has never been that way. More like 8 to 5, then 7 to 9 and maybe a couple more -- plus an all-nighter or two each month and many lost Sundays flying across the country for Monday morning meetings on a different coast.
Then you hit 40. Your metabolism slows down, so you need 90 minutes to get the results you used to get in 60. Now your kids are older, so it isn't just sitting with them for an hour and playing with legos on the floor -- it's 2-hour drives to 3-hour sporting events (and 2 hours back), the odd weekday night choir practice, acting gig at the local theater, competitive debate. If you have managed to keep your feet on the ground to this point, your neighbors have noticed. You have been asked to sit on the boards of a few community organizations...
Having said all of that it is STILL very important to get that exercise in and keep the pounds off and stay attractive for your soulmate. But you DO have to be more creative with your schedule and willing to be flexible. And the willpower is more of a challenge because you WILL miss workouts and have to get yourself fired back up when you are off your rhythm.







