Marriage Problems Can Get You Fat, Study

Married couples who fight are likelier to consume unhealthy food and gain more weight, according to a new study led by Lisa Jaremka, assistant professor at the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Delaware.

Any heated argument would stoke the hunger hormone ghrelin, which would encourage craving for food, mostly unhealthy type of food.

"Ghrelin's not just pushing you to eat," Jaremka told Today. "It's creating a craving for specific types of foods: those that are high in sugar, high in fat and high in salt."

Research was taken to check whether marital problems were impacting people's appetite as well as food choices, leading to health problems. Studying 43 couples with an average age of 38, the team found that the couples were married three years and above, with an average marriage duration of 11.49 years.

The researchers first took blood samples and then asked them to discuss one problem they argued about at length. This itself led to arguments, and the researchers noted down details such "name calling and eye rolling."

Blood samples were again taken from couples, and tests led to higher levels of ghrelin compared to those who did not argue during marriages.

The research finding was applied to couples who had normal weight or were overweight but not to those who were obese, as their diets were already poor, according to researchers.

Hence, distressed couples are inclined towards eating more "fatty, salty and sugary food" facing higher health risk for diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems, according to hngn.

The study was published in the July 29 issue of the journal Clinical Psychological Science.