Couples Beware: Your Marriage Can Make You Fat

They can't leave well enough alone. Those marital researchers have to stop doing studies that expose the truth about relationships. Last summer, I told you about two studies that were conducted that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that being married not only keeps you healthy but it can extend your life expectancy by five years (. . . And it's Good For You Too!). Not even one year later, the results of yet another study indicate, that although being married might decrease your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer and depression, the sad truth is that within a few short years of getting married, individuals are twice as likely to become obese as are people who are merely dating. Interesting paradox.

The study, which is published in the July issue of Obesity, set out to determine how romantic relationships affect weight gain. Penny Gordon-Larsen and Natalie The, two nutrition epidemiologists at the University of North Carolina, tracked changes over several years on 6,949 individuals, to see how their weight corresponded with their relationship status. Their findings may not 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 together tend to pack on the pounds too. The study also reports that unmarried women who have been living with their partner for five years or less run a 63% risk of obesity while unmarried men generally have no increased risk duringcohabitation.

The two researchers have their theories about why relationships can cause weight gain: Mealtime may become more important than it was when the people were living alone. Many couples report not going to the gym as often as they did when they were single. Scientists have known for a while that having a closerelationship with an obese person, whether a friend or a spouse, makes you more likely to become obese. As couples establish an intimate relationship, they often begin to adopt characteristics-- both negative and positive--of their partners. So maybe gaining weight is just one of those characteristics.

Joining together to make sure that they don't suffer this unpleasant fate can be a big challenge for any couple. Supporting each other in maintaining a healthy lifestyle needs to become a goal of therelationship that both individuals work towards. For thirty years, I have been suggesting that couples walk together to stay connected but now they will just have to walk faster to burn more calories. Have a healthy holiday weekend.