My husband and I have been married for five years and you can tell by our waistlines. While we're both naturally pretty slim and try to exercise somewhat regularly, we've definitely put on a few pounds since we exchanged vows (that's us in the picture) and since we had our son. (In fact, my toddler's favorite activity these days is squeezing my belly and giggling hysterically. Thanks.)
New research, published in the journal Obesity and written about at BusinessWeek.com, found that married couples are twice as likely to become obese as people in romantic relationships who weren't married or living together. The longer couples are married, the greater the risk of gaining weight and becoming obese.
The researchers, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, say when people are living together they share behaviors, such as eating meals together and watching TV. The scientists also note that marriage provides a number of health benefits, including decreased cigarette smoking and lower mortality.