Yeah, you heard that right. It seems nonsense in the first but scientists have proved a point that happy couples gain weight.
The University of North Carolina has followed 8000 people for an experiment. What they figured out is that in the first 5-6 years married women gain 24 pounds on an average. Even if a woman is not married but is living together with her boyfriend, she can gain 22 pounds.
But on the other hand, someone who is not married and lives with her parents gains only 13 pounds over time.
A similar study was done on men. Men generally tend to gain weight when they are shifting from being single to being in a relationship. Men who live in with their partners have gained 25 pounds on an average in 2 years.
So it is pretty much evident that romantic relationships have a direct effect on weight gain. But on the other side, there was also a noticeable decrease in the consumption of alcohol and smoking. It shows the willingness of a couple to live a healthy lifestyle.
Another important research was carried out by the National Institute of Health to see what was the weight gain rate on newly married couples.
Couples who have been married for 4 years were taken into consideration and those who were happy with their spouses gained more weight than those who were not.
Scientists think what happens is when you are in a relationship and happy with each other you do not feel the necessity to impress anyone else. So, you accept yourself how you are and feel happier.
If you have an unstable relationship the stress makes you lose weight. But it is also important to put a check on the weight you gain as it might affect your health.
Weight gain seems to be contagious. As you live together you adopt the habits of your partner. If one partner starts gaining weight the other one would too.
There will always be exceptions to this study. Couples may or may not gain weight. It is anyway important to lead a healthy lifestyle whether you are in love or not.