Obesity and Marriage

Obesity can trigger depression, distorted body image and low self-esteem…….which are all mental-health problems that can be detrimental to a relationship. A distorted body image can make a person go to great lengths to hide her body from their partner or feel uncomfortable being sexual. The low self-esteem will cause a person to suffer with constant worry and look for reassurance. Weight is a sensitive issue that can easily strain or spell the end of any relationship when mishandled but many people can’t keep their weight at a healthy level.

Excessive weight

There are various challenges that come with weight gain……shopping for clothes for the overweight partner that is flattering, the unwanted stares that come with being in public with an obese partner, and the body odor that develops when hygiene becomes difficult. Being overweight creates other health concerns like high blood pressure, heart problems, cholesterol and blood clots.

Women that are overweight find it difficult to conceive. Fat produces oestrogen in the body and this extra fat disturbs the normal balance of the body which eventually affects fertility. Obese men report a higher rate of erectile dysfunction. For both genders being obese may result in muscular or skeletal problems that make having intimacy challenging. Obese people are a higher risk for diabetes, depression and urinary stress incontinence….all of which can lead to sex-related problems. The ramifications are endless to the individual that struggles with obesity.

Complacent in the relationship

Various studies have shown that many individuals get complacent after marriage because they no longer feel the need to look their best to attract a partner. In a few short years of getting married those individuals are twice as likely to become obese as those people who are just dating. This finding wasn’t limited to married people but also those couples who live together. “With women we saw incremental risk after one year,” reported Penny Gordon-Larsen nutrition epidemiologists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who conducted the study. “The longer she lived with a romantic partner, the more likely she was to keep putting on weight. The risk of obesity with males….married or unmarried increased only between the first and second years living together.”

Scientists have known for awhile that having a close relationship with an obese person whether friend or spouse makes you more likely to become obese. Studies continue to support that if one spouse engages in weight loss the other spouse will also lose about five pounds. Increasing the amount of physical activity in a daily routine can help burn off fat.

The older we become the more difficult it is to lose weight. Finding a hobby or physical activity that you can enjoy together while you are getting your exercise can be a win/win. Couples don’t have to live chubbily ever after……..

Parent Tips for Teen Dating

Dating during the teen years helps to promote healthy development among adolescents. Learning the skills of dating is also a time of social experimentation for them. Parents and teens may feel awkward or uncomfortable as they discuss the rules and expectations in this new situation but this should not keep parents from discussing sexual boundaries, curfews, and respect of their date. This time of development for the teen can be an opportunity to teach your adolescent how to date, have respect for each other and protect themselves from emotional and physical hurt.

Teen dating

A new study from the University of Texas was published in the June 2011 issue of Journal of Youth and Adolescence reports that teens who have a girlfriend or boyfriend are less likely to engage in delinquent or dangerous behaviors compared to teens without a partner. This was due to less time spent at parties where dangerous behaviors might occur. Teens in relationships also displayed more confidence, were self assured and less likely to subcome to peer pressure. The study also found family environmental factors, rather than intelligence were a more important influence on teenage sexual activity.

Parent guidelines

Dating during adolescence poses problems and challenges for personal growth. Understanding this impact can help parents dialogue openly about their concerns which will benefit families in this time of growth. Parents should be a good role model in their own relationships displaying how to compromise, advocate for yourself assertively but with respect to your partner. Parents should also try and meet the parents of the significant other to discuss dating guidelines and communicate often to make sure activities are supervised.

When the teen begins to date a parent should encourage double dating or going out with a group. The age difference should not be more than a couple of year’s difference between the two teens. This should help with the concern of being pressured into premature sexual activity. The U.S. Attorney General reports that 38% of date rape victims are girls between the age of 14 and 17. Discuss abstinence and how to say no or how to postpone sex. Educate and discuss the safe sex practices such as condoms and birth control. Practice having the teen state that “No” means no and that oral sex is sex. Parents should always look for warning signs of a change in behavior or appearance of their teen. This could mean that your teen is in compromising situation that would warrant a parent’s guidance. Keeping your teen safe even when they are resistant needs to remain a priority of parenting.