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Study

Mixed-Weight Couples More Likely to Experience Conflict

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.

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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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How does weight negatively impact a relationship?

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona and the University of Puget Sound found mixed-weight couples experienced more conflict than couples where both partners were about the same weight.

Researchers looked at 43 heterosexual couples and examined the levels of conflict each couple experienced.

“Mixed-weight couples were more likely

to experience anger and resentment.”

Mixed-weight (where one partner is a healthy weight and the other is overweight) couples were more likely to experience anger and resentment than same-weight couples, and these conflicts intensified when both partners ate with each other.

However, researchers determined couples had less conflict when the overweight person felt their partner was supportive of their exercise and dieting efforts.

“That is significant because even though they are at risk for more conflict, there are communication mechanisms that can reduce this,” said Tricia Burke, the study’s lead author.

Source: Sagepub.com.