Couples typically pack on the pounds in the years following marriage, a new study suggests.
In a poll of 1,000 people, 82 per cent of courses said they had put on weight after walking up the aisle, and more than half had done so together.
Four of ten said they had put on four pounds a year after marriage, while a fifth had gained as much as six pounds per year.
Less than a fifth of the survey respondents said marriage had not affected their weight.
The married couples said they were more likely to stay in and snack than they had done while single, and explained that they felt under less pressure to look good after finding a partner.
Married women said that childbirth encouraged weight gain, and they were also most likely to say that they felt under less pressure to be slim if their partner gained weight alongside them.
A significant 64 per cent said their eating habits reflected their partner’s, so they tended to lose or gain weight together.
Meanwhile, 72 per cent said they had felt under pressure to be slim while single because they were actively looking for a partner.
