While being in a relationship is certainly a happy thing for most people, it turns out there’s at least one major downside. According to new research, being in a couple will likely result in folks piling on the pounds.
A new study out of University of Queensland, Australia, which lasted more than a decade, determined that being in a relationship makes people fatter. The study looked at data of more than 15,000 people, and found that those with a long-term partner weighed, on average, 12.7 pounds more than single folks, and showed an average weight gain of 3.9 pounds per year.
So why does being in a couple make people fat? Well, the researchers speculate it could have to do with couples having a commitment to regular family meals, and that they tend to eat larger portions and more calories when they are with someone than if they were alone. Plus, always having someone to go out to dinner and drink with can add the poundage. And most importantly, not having to go out often to impress people could result in couples letting themselves go.
“When couples don’t need to look attractive and slim to attract a partner,” lead author Stephanie Schoeppe explains, “they may feel more comfortable in eating more, or eating more foods high in fat and sugar.”
Source: New York Post