People who are married or in a relationship are urged to keep their diets in check as a study

has found that couples, having settled into a comfort zone of deceptive security, tend to
lose track of their eating habits and put on weight in a short period of time.

Scientists from Central Queensland University, Australia, analyzed data from some 15,000
people over the course of 10 years and found that those with significant others had gained
an average of 5.7 kilograms per year, while unattached participants gained 1.7 kg per year,
kompas.com reported.

Lead searcher Stephanie Schoeppe explained that when someone didn’t feel the need to
look lean and attract his or her partner anymore, he or she would feel free to consume big
portions of food high in fat and sugar.

She went on to say that couples who have become parents tend to finish their children’s
food.

Jerica Berge, associate professor at the University of Minnesota’s department of family

medicine and community health, claimed that the main reasons behind couples’ weight gain
were romantic dinners and their food-related social behaviors.

On the other hand, researchers at Central Queensland University found that couples did not
necessarily have an unhealthier lifestyle compared to singles. They claimed that people in
relationships ate more fruit, tend to quit smoking, avoided alcohol and exercised together.

In spite of the weight gain, being in a relationship has its benefits, the university further
explained, saying that married people tend to be happier, less lonely and have a more
satisfying sex life than their single counterparts.

Studies have also shown that people who live with their spouse or partner have a 10 to 15
percent higher life expectancy as couples tend to look after each other’s well-being.

There are also benefits to being single, however, apart from slower weight gain. According
to Psychology Today, people who embrace being single live their best, most authentic and
most meaningful lives. - The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network