New research on 2,405 Polish individuals, mostly around age 50, confirms the long-observed trend of relationship weight gain, showing that married people are more likely to be overweight than their unmarried counterparts.
The study found that the risk of being overweight increased by 39% in women and 62% in men after marriage. Additionally, for every extra year of marriage, the likelihood of weight gain rose by 4% in women and 3% in men. Notably, married men were also more likely to be classified as obese, whereas this trend was not as prominent among women.
Researchers suggest that societal pressure plays a role, as women are often more conscious of their weight due to appearance-related stigma. Dr. Alicja Cicha-Mikolajczyk of the National Institute of Cardiology in Warsaw noted that women are more proactive in managing their weight.
The study also linked obesity in women to depression and low health literacy, while no similar connection was found in men.
These findings will be presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Spain this May, with researchers emphasizing the need for better health education and promotion to curb rising obesity levels.
