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……..