Marriage makes men fatter, shows new research
The study shows that married men have a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) than their non-married counterparts , adding approximately three pounds or 1.4kg to the scales. There's no effect on male BMI if their wife becomes pregnant, but in the early years after childbirth men gain weight. It takes the period just before and after divorce to register a dip in male BMI. The findings clear up the confusion of competing theories put forward by social scientists linking BMI to marital status. It confirms the idea that people who are single but seeking marriage have more incentive to stay fit and make more effort than those who are married. It also supports the theory that marriage leads to more social occasions involving richer foods, or more regular meals for men; while putting paid to the idea that married couples have better physical health because of increased social support. The study of heterosexual couple in the United States, between 1999 and 2013, used data from the Panel S...