Studies suggest that women who live with their boyfriends or husbands tend to gain weight due to an increase in fat and sugar in their diets.  On the flipside, men's diets became more healthy.

Men found themselves eating lighter, healthier meals and more fruit and vegetables, while women moved towards the creamier, heavier dishes like curries and rich pasta meals favoured by their partners.

Why the change?

The team said diets change because each partner tries to please the other.

Living with the opposite sex is an extreme lifestyle change, especially when routines, diets, etc. differ between the couple.  Couples need to find a compromise:

"You've got two separate food systems coming together and no matter what people you are not going to like all the same foods.

"If one partner is always saying take away, take away and the other is always saying salad, salad, it could cause problems and there will obviously need to be some compromise."

But Dr Lake also said that couples should see the lifestyle change as a chance to improve both partners' lifestyles for the better.

"It's a time in your life when lots of things are changing and you can work together and do it more helpfully.

The moral of the story?  Don't live with your boyfriend until you get married; After you are married you can just let yourself go.

Here is the full article.

Trackback URL for this post: