Have you ever met newlyweds a few months after the wedding and noticed (of course, to yourself!) that both of them had grown a little in size? No, it’s not a coincidence: several studies show that happy relationships increase the chances of gaining weight.
To find out whether partners who feel good and comfortable with each other really put on weight, researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia undertook. Over the course of ten years, they followed 6458 participants in the study and found that women aged 20 to 30 years old, without children, who were in constant and satisfying relationships, weigh more than “loners” – an average of 5,9 kg, and some steadily gaining 1,8 kg per year.
However, it’s not just women who get fat. Scientists from Southern Methodist University in Dallas followed 169 newlywed couples for four years and came to a similar conclusion: both men and women in happy marriages put on weight. Colleagues from New York University agree with them. Moreover: the happier the relationship, the more weight the spouses gain, but the problems in marriage and the more divorce lead to the fact that partners lose weight.
How and why does love make us fat?
To paraphrase the classic, we can say that all happy families are alike, but they get fat for different reasons. One is that partners often adopt each other’s eating habits, sometimes not the healthiest.
So, married women begin to lean on foods high in fat and sugar, and their portions of food gradually increase. Some even begin to eat as much as a spouse (or even more), not taking into account that the need for calories in men and women is different.
In addition, the researchers found that couples spend more time and effort preparing meals. When we live alone, we often skip at least one meal or have a quick bite to eat, but when we become part of a couple, we begin to prepare full lunches and dinners, including desserts and alcohol. In marriage, a joint meal is not just a meal, but also an opportunity to be together.
The positive stress caused by the period of flirting and courtship subsides and the appetite increases
Another reason is probably that lovers tend to spend as much free time together as possible, often neglecting physical exercise. Gradually, their lifestyle becomes less and less active. Our priorities are changing, and self-care, which includes sports and diets, fades into the background.
Researchers have noticed that relationships in most cases develop according to the same scenario: a period of first dates, which usually take place in bars and restaurants, is followed by a stage when partners decide that it is time to start living together. Now they spend their weekends at home: cooking multi-course meals, watching movies on the couch with popcorn or ice cream. This way of life, sooner or later, is expected to lead to weight gain.
However, it’s not just about lifestyle: realizing that our relationship is stable, we relax, feel more confident and secure. The positive stress caused by the period of flirting and courtship subsides, and the appetite increases.
Of course, this is only a general trend: many couples manage to continue to lead the same healthy lifestyle in marriage as before. So, instead of adopting your partner’s not-healthy eating habits, maybe it’s time to show him how much fun it is to take care of yourself, eat right and exercise?