Why People Tend to Gain Weight in Relationships

A couple of months ago some articles were doing the rounds that talked all about the rebound body. In summation, these pieces talked about how hitting the gym and eating healthy after a breakup could help the healing persons get back in the game faster.

But, saying that these people could benefit from going to the gym, implies that they may be walking out of their last relationship with some extra weight. Could this be true? Is it a rule or a stereotype that people gain weight once they are in committed relationships?

The facts

In Australia at the University of Queensland, there was a study done to investigate whether people gain weight in relationships and how much weight they are gaining. After testing 15 000 people spanning over a period of more than 10 years, they found that people do gain weight in relationships.

Not only did these researchers find that people gain about 1.8kg each year they are in a relationship, culminating in paired up people weighing almost 6kg more than their single counterparts, they also provide a couple of insights into why these people weigh more when they are in a relationship.

What is date night without dinner?

When a person is single, it is more than acceptable to skip a couple of dinners. If you are not that hungry, then you could happily have a snack and then fall asleep in peace. When in a relationship, this is not necessarily the norm. Instead, couples are almost obligated to eat meals together.

Why this has become a standard would take further research, but if you think about any relationship you have had you can probably remember having a discussion every day about what the two of you are going to eat.

On the whole, these meals may include more healthy ingredients than a dimly lit dinner for one, but they are larger and far more frequent.

The equation for weight gain is quite simple; if you consume more energy than you utilize, you will gain weight. Therefore, if you are eating bigger meals in a relationship and eating more of them, then you will gain weight if this goes on for long enough.

Then there is all that TV time

There are many great things about being in a relationship, one of these being the sheer joy that can be derived from lying in bed with your partner all day just eating nice food and binge-watching series. Having some downtime can be incredibly beneficial to one’s health, but when this downtime starts taking away from the time that you spend outside or in the gym then again, you will start putting on weight.

Sure, these days in bed may come with their own physical activity and cardio, it is not nearly enough to compare to a couple of hours at the gym. Regardless of the prevailing stamina of the couple.

People simply don’t try as hard in relationships

Before balking at this concept, consider for a moment that this is a good thing. When you are in a loving and committed relationship, you feel secure about yourself and your body. You do not feel the need to try as hard to attract your partner. They love you and will, therefore, love you even if you put on a little bit more insulation. This kind of affection is quite frankly unparalleled when you compare the dating scene to being in a relationship.

When you do find someone that you care about enough to give up the glitz and the glamour of the single life, know that you might just put on some weight. There is no need to beat yourself up about it. It is quite a natural occurrence. If, however, it does bother you then maybe suggest you and your partner do more physical activities together. This will not only give the two of your more bonding time, but it will maintain your health at the same time.