[Seoul=Newsis] Intern reporter Jang Garin = A study has found that marriage increases the risk of obesity in men by about three times.
According to the British daily The Guardian on the 12th (local time), researchers from the Warsaw National Heart Institute in Poland analyzed health data from 2,405 men and women with an average age of 50, and presented their findings at the recent European Congress on Obesity.
The researchers stated that married men had a 3.2 times higher risk of obesity compared to single men. On the other hand, the risk of obesity did not increase for married women.
Moreover, marriage increased the likelihood of being overweight in men by 62%, but the increase was only 39% for women.
Similar results were found in a study conducted in China last year. In men, calorie intake increased and physical activity decreased within the first five years of marriage, leading to an increase in BMI (Body Mass Index). Specifically, overweight in married men increased by 5.2% and obesity by 2.5%.
Some studies indicate that certain factors increasing the risk of obesity affect only women. Depression doubles the risk of obesity in women, and a lack of ‘health literacy’ (the ability to process and understand health-related information) increases the risk of obesity by 43%. Additionally, women in small communities are more likely to be obese. However, these factors did not affect the risk of obesity in men.
Regarding this, Catherine Jenner, director of the UK Obesity Health Alliance, stated, “Being overweight is not merely a personal issue, but rather a result of a complex mix of social, psychological, and environmental factors,” adding, “Policies are needed to make health choices easier through improved food environments, education, and support throughout life.”
Joanna Syrda, who lectures at the University of Bath in the UK, noted that the research by the Polish team is consistent with her 2017 study, saying, “Men’s BMI increases after marriage and decreases just before and after divorce.”
She explained, “The main reason is that single men looking for a partner put more effort into maintaining their health compared to married men. Moreover, married men might have more regular meals or consume richer foods than single men.”
Meanwhile, Jim Pollard, a consultant at the Men’s Health Forum, pointed out, “The increase in men’s BMI after marriage might be due to stress from long working hours and unhealthy eating habits associated with stressful jobs.”