Marriage and divorce are two events that can drastically alter a person’s life. Researchers have found that one specific area that marriage and divorce can affect is weight gain. How much a person gains in weight after a marriage or divorce seems to be dependent on their gender.
Weight Gain After Marriage and Divorce
Researchers from the University of Ohio studied over 10,000 men and women who were between the ages of 14-22. The study began in 1979, and the participants answered questions every year. After 1994, they responded to surveys every other year.
They found that women, after two years of marriage, often gained weight and were much heavier in comparison to single women. After two years of divorce, they found that men gained more weight in comparison to their married counterparts.
Dmitry Tumin was one of the co-leads in the study. Turmin says, “Clearly, the effect of marital transitions on weight changes differs by gender. Divorces for men, and to some extent, marriages for women, promote weight gains that may be large enough to pose a health risk.”
Reason for Weight Gain After Marriage and Divorce
The researchers posed some theories on why they believe marriage and divorce affected men and women differently.
Zhenchao Qian, the other lead researcher, believes that women are busy with taking care of the household and children after marriage. This inevitably leads to less time to exercise and less focus on themselves, especially in comparison to those that are single. Qian says that single women are more likely to diet and keep track of their appearances.
Tumin believes that men are more likely to gain weight after divorce because being married provided them with structure and women were more likely to look after them. Once they get divorced, the structure and attentive partner disappears and they are more inclined to gain weight.
The researchers found that age also plays a role in weight gain for both genders. Until the participants turned 30, they didn’t see any consistent trends between both genders. Once they were over 30, the weight gain trends relating to marriage and divorce became more pronounced.
The researchers believe that men and women respond differently to life altering events like marriage and divorce, as they get older.
Weight Gain For Both Men and Women
A separate study done by the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill shows that both men and women gain weight when they are in a relationship. Their study involved 8000 people, who were aged 12-28. They followed up on the group for 5 years.
They found that women that were in relationships, but didn’t live together with their significant other, gained an average of 15 pounds. The men, in comparison, gained 24 pounds.
The study showed that married men and women gained even significantly more weight. Married women, on average, gained 24 pounds. Married men gained 30 pounds.
Sources:
Weight Gain After Marriage and Divorce: Men and Women
Weight Gain After Marriage and Divorce: Reasons for Weight Gain
Weight Gain After Marriage: Relationships May Lead to Weight Gain