Fat and happily married

There may be something to that old saying about “fat and happy.” A new study published in Health Psychology shows that happily married couples are more likely to gain weight than the not-so-happy pairings.

As happiness increased so did the waistline

Couples were questioned over a four year period about their happiness, height and weight. For each couple that registered as happy, they gained on average a pound a year. The implication is that people who are satisfied with their marriage are less inclined to worry about appearance since they have no desire to get back out there and look for another partner.

If your spouse is skinny, take a relationship inventory

“On average, spouses who were more satisfied with their marriage were less likely to consider leaving their marriage, and they gained more weight. In contrast, couples who were less satisfied in their relationship tended to gain less weight over time,” said Dr. Andrea Meltzer of Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Weight may be more about being attractive than being healthy

Interestingly, divorce was linked to weight loss. “These findings suggest people perhaps are thinking about their weight in terms of appearance rather than health,” Dr. Meltzer explained.

Does it go against instinct to think of weight as a health issue?

Previous studies have indicated that weight maintenance is motivated by the want to attract a mate. It seems that people need to be educated about weight management and the effect on health when over-weight. “By focusing more on weight in terms of health as opposed to appearance, satisfied couples may be able to avoid potentially unhealthy weight gain.”

Source: MedicalNewsToday, Health Psychology Journal