Divorce can affect people in many different ways. To some, it’s emotional. To others, it’s financial. But according to a new study, divorce can affect men in a physical way.
Research that has looked at weight gain after marriages and divorces in more than 10,000 people has determined that women are more likely to gain weight within the two years after a marriage while men are more likely to gain weight within the two years after a divorce. These statistics were published by Ohio State University and polled American individuals between the years of 1986 and 2008. In most cases, researchers found that the weight gain was not substantial.
The reasons for the weight gain were not addressed in the research. The researchers believe that most married women tend to play a larger domestic role, leaving many with less time to work out and stay active than women who are not married.
On the other hand, researchers with the Ohio State team say men receive a health benefit from marriage that they often lose once a divorce is finalized. Men who were older than 30 when they divorced were the most at risk for weight gain. As time goes on and men get older, their risk for weight gain grows. This may be because many cement their diet patterns as they get older, according to the report. One researcher also noted that emotional effects of a divorce can have a greater impact on those who are older.
Source: USA Today, “Weight gain hits women after marriage, men after divorce,” Aug. 23, 2011
