Couples in Happy Relationships Tend to Gain Weight

Do you ever wonder why many happily married couples tend to gain love handles together? According to Science, having a big waistline is a good indication that you’re happy and satisfied with your relationship.

Researchers from the National Center for Biotechnology Information have recently found that couples in happy, stable relationships tend to gain weight because they are not under pressure to attract another mate.

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To arrive at this conclusion, the researchers followed 169 couples on their marriage over the course of four years. They looked into the changes in their height, weight, stress, marital satisfaction, steps toward divorce and several other covariates and recorded these twice a year. The researchers then used this information to evaluate if gaining the extra pounds has something to do with a happy marriage.

Indeed, the researchers found that those who were happy in love gained weight. On the other hand, those who were able to maintain their figure were found to be dissatisfied in their relationship.

Based on the mating marketing model, people satisfied in their relationships are more likely to gain the extra pounds since they don’t need to impress a potential new partner. Meanwhile, those who seek to attract someone else will less likely get fat since they’ll be working out to make themselves more attractive.

Study coauthor Sarah Novak said that if you’re hitting the gym because you love working out, it is less likely that a happy relationship would affect your activity. However, if you’re working out to a attract a mate, being in a happy relationship can affect your routine.

“If you run five miles every day because you enjoy it, being in a stable, happy relationship won’t undermine that. But if you run five miles every day because you want to look cute to attract someone new, you’ll lose that motivation when you’re in a happy relationship,” she said.

What are the health benefits of marriage?

According to WebMD, marriage and long term relationships positively impacts a person’s health. In fact, married people, especially men, are less likely to pass away early and are less likely to die from stroke or heart disease.

Here are some of the health benefits of a happy marriage:

  1. Married couples have safer behavior.
  2. They are less likely to go through depression since they are socially connected.
  3. Spouse can help a partner maintain healthy habits.
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