It isn’t uncommon to see a man gain weight months or a year after getting married, and according to a recent study by the University of Bath in the U.K, marriage makes men gain weight.
According to researchers, married men have a higher body mass index (BMI) than men who are unmarried – adding about three pounds to the scales – mostly because of eating less healthily.
The researchers also found that with fatherhood comes a further increase in their BMI in the early years after childbirth, but not when their wife becomes pregnant. Men’s BMI, however, begins to fall in the periods just before and after a divorce.
The study also proves the theory that marriages lead to attending more social gatherings that often involve rich foods.
“It’s useful for individuals to understand which social factors may influence weight gain, especially common ones such as marriage and parenthood so that they can make informed decisions about their health and well-being,” Dr. Joanna Syrda, lead author of the study, said in a statement. “For married men who want to avoid BMI increases that will mean being mindful of their own changing motivation, behaviour and eating habits.”
To conduct the study, researchers looked at heterosexual couples in the U.S. between 1999 and 2013, using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics.
The study was published in the journal Social Science and Medicine.
S.O.Z