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Study

Men More Likely to Gain Weight After Divorce, Women After Marriage

C. Price

Written by: C. Price

C. Price

C. Price is part of DatingAdvice.com's content team. She writes advice articles, how-to guides, and studies — all relating to dating, relationships, love, sex, and more.

Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingAdvice articles have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Gwinnett Daily News, and The Gainesville Sun covering lifestyle topics.

Reviewed by: Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks is the Editor-in-Chief at DatingAdvice.com. When she was growing up, her family teased her for being "boy crazy," but she preferred to think of herself as a budding dating and relationship expert. As an English major at the University of Florida, Amber honed her communication skills to write clearly, knowledgeably, and passionately about a variety of subjects. Now with over 1,800 lifestyle articles to her name, Amber brings her tireless wit and relatable experiences to DatingAdvice.com. She has been quoted as a dating expert by The Washington Times, Cosmopolitan, The New York Post, Bustle, Salon, Well+Good, and AskMen.

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Marriage, divorce and weight seem to go hand in hand, according to one study.

Researchers at Ohio State University found individuals were highly likely to experience a significant weight gain (21+ pounds) within the first two years of either getting married or getting divorced.

However, after looking at 10,0071 men and women, researchers found this weight gain was tied closely to gender, with men more likely to gain weight after a divorce and women more likely to gain weight after marriage.

“Individuals were likely to experience weight gain

within two years of getting married or divorced.”

Weight gains were much more likely among individuals who experienced their transition after they turned 30, as individuals who experienced marital transitions in their 20s generally maintained the same BMI.

Study co-author Zchenchao Qian explained his theories on the data and its split along gender lines:

“Married women often have a larger role around the house than men do, and they may have less time to exercise and stay fit than similar unmarried women,” he said. “On the other hand, studies show that married men get a health benefit from marriage, and they lose that benefit once they get divorced, which may lead to their weight gain.”

However, weight gain among older individuals may have less to do with biology and more to do with habits, as lead author Dmitry Tumin notes:

“As you get older, having a sudden change in your life like a marriage or a divorce is a bigger shock than it would have been when you were younger, and that can really impact your weight,” he said.

Source: OSU.edu.