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Married to Weight Gain? New Study Reveals a Surprising Link Between Marriage and Extra Pounds.

Researchers from the National Institute of Cardiology in Warsaw, Poland, have discovered that getting married can lead to weight gain or even obesity—but the effects aren’t the same for men and women.

For men, being married triples the likelihood of obesity and raises the risk of being overweight by 62%.

In contrast, marriage does not affect obesity risk for women, though it does increase their chances of being overweight by 39%.

The researchers also discovered that with each passing year, the risk of weight gain rises for both men and women.

The U.S. has the highest obesity rates among high-income nations, with approximately 42% of men and 46% of women classified as obese in 2021.

Obesity is a major risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and several types of cancer. In 2021, there were 172 million overweight or obese adults over the age of 25 in the U.S., a number projected to reach 214 million by 2050.

For this study, researchers analyzed data from 2,405 individuals (an even split between men and women) with a median age of 50. Among them, 35.3% had a normal weight, 38.3% were overweight, and 26.4% were classified as obese.

While marriage was associated with weight gain in both sexes, the connection between marriage and obesity was stronger in men. Married men were 3.2 times more likely to become obese compared to their single counterparts.

The researchers found no significant difference in obesity rates between married and unmarried women. They suggest this gap may be due to differing societal attitudes toward obesity in men and women.

These findings align with a previous study, which revealed that men are more likely than women to gain weight after marriage.

Published in the journal Economics & Human Biology, the study found that marriage had a significant positive impact on men’s body mass index (BMI), particularly within the first five years of marriage.

Researchers attributed this increase to changes in lifestyle, as married men tended to eat more and exercise less over time.

Previous studies have shown that married individuals generally have a higher body mass index (BMI) than those who are single. Research suggests that the more satisfied someone is in their relationship, the greater their likelihood of becoming obese—a trend often referred to as “happy fat.”

Regarding age as an independent risk factor, the study found that with each passing year, the likelihood of becoming overweight or obese increased for both men and women.

Additionally, the researchers discovered that women living in communities with fewer than 8,000 people were 46% more likely to be obese and 42% more likely to be overweight. However, for men, living in smaller communities did not increase the risk of either condition.