A study has found that being satisfied in your marriage may come with a price, the price being the cost of a bigger size of jeans. Researchers from the US conducted a study of newly married couples, and discovered that if you are in a happy marriage in the full throes of wedded bliss, you are, unfortunately, more likely to pack on the pounds. Researchers from the Southern Methodist University looked at 169 newly married couples over the course of four years. Twice a year, for the duration of the study, the team of investigators measured the couples’ level of satisfaction in their marriage, as well as their weight gain.
The results showed that there was a direct correlation between an increase in wedded bliss, and a rise in weight. For every unit of increase in satisfaction in your marriage, the researchers said that this would be paralleled by an average of a 0.12 increase in BMI every six months. They commented that whilst the increase in weight they found was pretty small, it could really add up over the years. According to the team, the BMI/satisfaction increase in real terms would be equivalent to a 5′ 4″ woman who weighs 119 pounds gaining one pound every year.
However, though no one particularly wants to be so fat that your husband has to wedge you out of bed in the morning, other studies have shown that people would rather to be a little bit more plump if it meant we could be happier. True, drastic weight gain could pose severe risks to your health and wellbeing, but it’s nice to know that in this age of super skinny models and beauty-at-all-costs, the vast majority of us would still rather have someone to cuddle up with, even if it means that there’s a bit more of you to cuddle up with.