Is happy marriage a risk

A recent research at Southern Methodist University in Texas has shown that happier marriages seem to foster a tendency to gain weight.

These findings were a surprise because earlier research has shown that happy marriage is beneficial to health in that these couples more likely to take medications on time and to schedule annual physicals, according to study leader Andrea Meltzer, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Southern Methodist University in Texas.

But Meltzer noted that the role of marital satisfaction and actual health is less clear. In this study, the couples who kept their weight in check were those who were dissatisfied with their marriages and potentially would consider divorce and the need to attract another mate. This indicates that these couples viewed weight in terms of appearance, rather than health.

The investigators tracked 169 newlywed couples for four years. The couples checked in with the research team twice a year reporting on their marital satisfaction and steps, if any, toward divorce. They also reported on their height and weight.

The investigators concluded that happy newlyweds should be encouraged to think about their weight as a health issue. The study was published online in March 2013 in Health Psychology.

Dr. Ajay Sati.