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Investigated Why marriage makes many men pretty thick
After marriage, men generally put on body weight. This suggests a British study. The scientists from the University of Bath had evaluated data from a US long-term study.
In the years 1999 to 2013, more than 8,700 men under the age of 65 made statements about their marital status and size and weight every two years. From this the body mass index (BMI) can be calculated. BMI is a common measure of body weight and gives the ratio of weight (in kg) to height (in m squared). During the investigation period, 24 percent of men were married, 39 percent got one child, and 12 percent divorced.
Marriage makes men fat (Image: andriano_cz / fotolia.com) The analysis of the data has shown that married men on average have a higher BMI than single. The difference was only an average of 1.4 kilograms. This supports the marriage market theory that men in marriage should be less motivated to move and look after their bodies. It would also be possible for regular meals in the family to increase calorie intake. This would also explain that the body mass index of men and women changes in the course of marriage usually similar.
Even if the man becomes a father, the event settles on the scales. During pregnancy, the weight remains constant. However, in the first four years after birth, the BMI increases. Probably the men during this time have less time for sports activities, the scientists say.
Even a temporarily decreasing testosterone level could promote weight gain. Just before and after the divorce, the BMI decreases again. On the one hand, this can be attributed to the onerous situation that beats one's appetite. In addition, the men pay more attention to their figure after the divorce, the scientists speculate in the journal "Social Science & Medicine". The study results can help to see through the relationships between social factors and body weight. Then, measures to prevent overweight in different life situations can be more effective. Heike Kreutz, bzfe