23 Jan 2011 How do I love thee? Let me count the pounds

You’ve heard about how people fall in love, marry and then they unfortunately gain weight. As a newlywed, my husband and I really thought that the five pounds we gained over the honeymoon would be gone by now. (That was four months ago.)

The Obesity Society presented a study a few years ago regarding weight gain trends in singles, cohabitating couples and married couples in their late teens and early 20s.

Single women who were dating gained an average of 15 pounds over five years. Single cohabitating women gained 18 pounds over five years and newly married women gained 24 pounds. The men gained weight respectively, but not as much.

Some researchers have concluded that single people tend to be more active, watch less TV and have more incentive to stay thin. Other researchers wonder if gaining weight is actually contagious.

Sharing an environment influences both eating and activity. Eating a meal with another person can increase the amount of food eaten by as much as 33 percent. Women generally don’t need as many calories as men which can explain why they tend to gain more weight especially if they eat as much as their partner.

Another study about obesity and the environment indicated that when one person is overweight, chances were high that the friends, siblings and spouse were also overweight. On a positive note, when that person slims down it also influences the people around them to lose weight.

There are many factors to consider as to why many people gain weight when they marry.  Some people think that once you’ve hooked your partner, there is no longer any motivation to stay thin. (I personally don’t agree with that one.)

Other more plausible reasons could be the changing responsibilities that go with being married. Trying to get ahead by working more and exercising less can certainly cause weight gain. Having children and staying busy with kids can also move exercise lower on the priority list.

Eating together can sometimes mean eating more calories. Many parents put their children’s eating preferences before their own only to find themselves eating chicken nuggets and pizza more often than they need.

So, is it destiny that when we fall in love we also gain weight? It is fun to indulge with your spouse, and it’s easy to let nutrition and exercise slide due to other priorities.

For better or for worse, in sickness and in health. Marriage involves teamwork, not only in raising children and building a better future but in keeping each other healthy and fit.