Fighting With Your Partner Can Make You Fat

A study conducted by Ohio State University revealed that fighting with your partner frequently not only damages your relationship, but it also poses risks to your physical health. Scientists discovered that arguing with your partner increases your risk of gaining weight, thus damaging your health.

According to the researchers, such arguments can encourage your body to release a hormone called ghrelin, that is known to have an appetite-triggering effect. As the hormone is released into your bloodstream, your body starts to crave foods that are rich in fat, salt and sugar content. In other words, you are more likely to be reaching for 'junk' or unhealthy food, that increases your risk of gaining weight, The Guardian reported.

It has been proven that hunger can make people angry, a state of mind that is now famously called 'hangry', a made-up word combining angry and hungry. People are more likely to lose their temper when they are hungry, mainly due to the absence of nutrients that are needed to exercise self-control, a study concluded. The new study confirms that not only being hungry can make you angry but the reverse is also possible; exchanging hostility with your partner can indeed make you hungry.

During the study, couples were asked to have a meal together as they were discussing some of their relationship problems. Afterwards, they completed a questionnaire about the meal and gave blood and saliva samples to the researchers so that they can study the chemical changes in those specimens.

According to the study, only couples who had a normal body mass index or were overweight had the associated chemical changes in their bodies. There was no significant difference in hormone levels in obese people. The study also revealed that arguments made couples suffer from general anxiety symptoms and interfered with their sleep, reducing their sleep quality, reported by The Guardian.