A new study reveals what many have suspected all along: Men gain weight after tying the knot.
Known colloquially as “happy fat,” the phenomenon occurs in several developed Western societies, though this study investigated whether the effect also happened in China. It showed that marriage was linked to a 5.2 percent increase in overweight in men and a 2.5 percent increase in obesity in couples aged 18 to 45.
The main culprits for weight gain were less exercise and a greater prevalence of calorie-dense food, the research team found.
In contrast, there was no clear trend for weight gain in Chinese women after marriage.
To determine the effect of marriage on weight, the research team looked at data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey. The survey, conducted by the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina and the National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, contains more than 25 years’ worth of information on the nutrition, physical activity, and health of Chinese populations.
Both men and women married between 1989 and 2015 experienced weight gain, though men gained more, the researchers found. The results also indicated that married partners gain more weight than unmarried individuals. For example, the average BMI for married men was over one point higher (22.41) than that of unmarried men (21.40). The average BMI in married women was 21.86, while it was 20.94 in unmarried women. Additionally, the obesity rate of married individuals was higher than that of unmarried; it was 5.76 percent for married men versus 3.96 percent for unmarried. The obesity rate for married women was 3.75 percent versus 1.90 percent for unmarried.
For the most part, married couples tended to eat more, spend less time exercising, and spend more time watching TV or engaging in some other sedentary activity, the study authors noted. In fact, unmarried men and women spent nearly twice as much time engaged in sports than their married counterparts.
Obesity Continues to Threaten National Health
In the United States, nearly one in three adults are considered overweight, and more than 40 percent of people are considered obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One in 11 adults have severe obesity. The health risks associated with obesity include heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. These are considered preventable leading causes of premature death, according to the CDC.The research team noted the findings highlight the important of promoting physical fitness and health management within families and suggested that messaging from health authorities and public health policies should be directed toward newlyweds.
Marriage could be seen as “an intervention window,” noted the research team, for addressing potential weight management needs. Interventions in behavior could be especially beneficial before a couple has children.
Childhood obesity, after all, is also on the rise. The prevalence of child obesity has skyrocketed to nearly 20 percent, the CDC reports. Childhood obesity can cause the same problems in children as adults, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, and joint problems.
“Given the correlation between obesity and various diseases, family members, especially males, should prioritize physical fitness and health management while fostering intimate family relationships through marriage,” the research team said, adding that “more targeted and personalized interventions may be more appropriate for women.”
