Study says being happy in a relationship can make you gain weight

You can blame it on date nights and food trips, but science backs the idea that couples in happy and healthy relationships experience weight gain.

“Marital Satisfaction Predicts Weight Gain in Early Marriage”, a 2013 study published by The American Psychological Association, suggests that happy couples tend to gain weight.

The study followed 169 couples and their marriages for four years. Aside from their weight, their height, stress, marital satisfaction, steps toward divorce, and several other covariates were evaluated biannually.

Their findings showed that lovebirds who claimed happy partnerships tend to put on extra pounds, while those who had trouble in paradise didn’t gain the extra weight.

“Given that satisfied newlyweds have already attracted a desirable mate, they may relax their diet and exercise regimen and, therefore, gain weight,” the researchers suggested.

On the other hand, those who maintained their figures had the conscious effort to do so in order to attract potential mates.