Scientists have confirmed what women have always known: men become fat and lazy after marriage.
Men start packing on the pounds within five years of tying the knot because they eat more calories and exercise less, the researchers found.
They found that marriage is ‘associated with a significant effect’ on BMI scores, with 5.2 per cent of married men being overweight and obesity rates rising by 2.5 per cent.
However, there was no evidence of a similar trend among women.
Men start packing on the pounds within five years of tying the knot because they eat more calories and exercise less, researchers found (stock)
The study was conducted in China, but researchers believe it is an international problem.
Shiwen Quan of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said: ‘This phenomenon, commonly called ‘happy fat’, has been substantiated by numerous cohort studies conducted in developed Western countries.
‘After getting married, men often exercise less and eat more, which leads to a higher BMI.
‘Men are at significant risk of obesity as they get older, so after marriage it is important that they do not ‘let themselves go’ by maintaining healthy eating habits and exercising regularly.
‘In contrast, there was no clear trend for women’s BMI after marriage.’
The study, published in Economics & Human Biology, shows that men’s BMI scores continue to rise within the first five years after marriage, followed by a period of stabilization.
The researchers said it highlights the importance of promoting physical fitness and health management within families – and suggested health authorities should target newlyweds with nutritional advice.
They said public health policies should view marriage as “a window of intervention” to meet individuals’ weight management needs, and that “post-marriage body management plans” should be designed for both sexes.
Previous research has shown that the greater an individual’s satisfaction with his or her intimate relationship, the more likely he or she is to become obese.
A previous study also found that the average person wins more than 2nd after meeting their partner.