Have you ever seen a married couple’s old wedding pictures and noticed they both look so fit? And then a few years later, she’s pregnant and he looks like he’s pregnant as well.
A recent study conducted in Poland has found that being married significantly increases the risk of obesity in men, but not in women. Specifically, married men were 3.2 times more likely to be obese than unmarried men, while no similar correlation was observed for married women compared to unmarried women. The study also noted that marriage increases the risk of being overweight by 62% for men and 39% for women compared to their unmarried counterparts.
And not surprisingly, advancing age increases the risk of being overweight or obese for both men and women.
So, why the weight gain?
- The hunt is over: Folks relax and get lazy because they’ve already reeled in their prize. They get comfortable, and attracting the opposite sex is no longer high on their list of priorities.
- Shared meal habits: Marriage often involves shared meals, which can lead to increased calorie intake. I’m single and sometimes I don’t even eat dinner. At other times, I’ll have a quick salad or a bowl of cereal. I’m not obligated to sit down and eat a full meal every day.
- Physical activity: Married individuals may experience reduced motivation for physical fitness. Maybe they’ve recently purchased a home and are busy getting acclimated. Perhaps they have young kids and simply have less free time to exercise. And when you have families to take care of and homes to maintain, careers become more important as married folks work hard to climb the ladder of success. Time to exercise requires extreme discipline.
- Cultural Acceptance: Weight gain is sometimes culturally accepted as a sign of stability and happiness in marriage, so putting on pounds is a little less frowned upon when you’re hitched. Spouses, homes, kids, and jobs…. People get it!
So, why is this so much more of a male problem?
Due to societal stigmas and pressure, women are far more weight conscious than men, so married women are more likely to be proactive in maintaining their figure.
This study highlights the complex relationship between marital status and obesity, emphasizing the need for further research into gender-specific factors influencing weight gain in married individuals.