“The transition into marriage (in the first year) is associated with an increase of about 1.63kg,” she said, with more women than men hitting this average weight increase, according to the study. Incidentally, men tend to gain an average of 0.4kg in the first year of marriage. “However, in the long run, those who are married are less likely to be at risk of major weight gain than those who remain single,” she said.
WHY THE WEIGHT CHANGE?
So why are we likely to, in the immortalised words of Frozen, let it go after marriage? Happy couples may be less motivated to maintain their weight when they don’t need to attract another mate, concluded researchers in another study. Interestingly, young newlyweds, who weren’t as satisfied with their relationship, tended to gain less weight. So, it may not be all bad if your partner has put on a kilo or two.
“I think that it is great that couples feel a sense of trust and bonding with their partners, to the extent that they can enjoy their relationship without worrying about usual societal expectations of looking great,” said Dr Chow.
And sometimes, the habits of a healthy partner can rub off on the other party, said Associate Professor Asim Shabbir, the director of National University Hospital’s (NUH) Centre for Obesity Management and Surgery. “A healthy partner can be of influence and motivate the other to change their lifestyle for the betterment of the family. For others, this may not be the case and both can succumb to obesity,” said Assoc Prof Shabbir, who is also the head and a senior consultant at NUH’s Department of Surgery.
Dr Chow agreed that the post-wedding weight change can go either way. “For example, you may be comfortable around your partner and do not mind your weight as much,” she said. Or “your partner may be into sports and you might tag along as it’s enjoyable. Consequently, you may end up losing weight, despite being a happy couple”.