Happy wife, happy life, happy fat?
Men are more likely than women to gain weight after marriage, according to a new study published in the journal Economics & Human Biology.
Marriage has a significant positive effect on body mass index (BMI) among males specifically within the first five years of getting married.
Meanwhile, there was no clear correlation for females.
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Social Science analyzed data from ten rounds of the China Health and Nutrition Survey spanning from 1989 to 2015.
They found that marriage is associated with a 5.2% increase in the prevalence of becoming overweight for men and a 2.5% rise in obesity.
The experts noted that this spike in BMI came as men tended to eat more and exercise less as their marriage continued.
“Men are facing a significant risk of obesity as they age, so after marriage, it’s important that they don’t ‘let themselves go’ by maintaining healthy eating habits and exercising regularly,” Shiwen Quan, of the Chinese Academy of Social Science, said, according to the Daily Mail.
Previous research has found that married individuals tend to have significantly higher BMI than singletons specifically finding that the more satisfied someone is in their intimate relationship, the more likely they are to become obese — a phenomenon, commonly referred to as “happy fat.”
However, these results may vary for Westerners.
“The standards for selecting a partner, the objectives of marriage, the customs of nuptial ceremonies, and the allocation of domestic duties after marriage differ considerably from those prevalent in Western societies. Hence, the impact of marriage on BMI may vary between Chinese and Western populations,” the study noted.
Scientists have found that romantic relationships don’t just mess with your physical health, but can also rewire your brain.
A study recently published in the journal Behavioural Sciences is said to be the first to understand the link between the mind’s behavioral activation system and feelings of romantic love.
While it has long been understood that romantic love spurs the release of the so-called “love hormone” responsible for the euphoria one feels when falling in love, this new study found that being in love can cause part of the brain to scramble so your paramour becomes the center of your world.
However, experts still have much more to understand about love — as do most people.
“We actually know very little about the evolution of romantic love,” lead researcher Adam Bode said.