Women's Health

Living Together Helps Him Lose Weight While She Gains

When a man and woman decide to move in together, there are a lot of compromises to be made: What color sheets should we have? Where will the couch go? Who is going to be in charge of the cooking and cleaning? Lost in the negotiation process, however, one important factor in sharing a home often gets overlooked, and it's tipping the scales for many women.

In an effort to please each other, men and women in the first stages of living together often begin to eat a little more like the other, concludes a review of studies published in Complete Nutrition. However, since single women tend to eat better than bachelors, living together helps men eat healthier than they used to and lose weight, while women tend to eat worse and gain.

In fact, after moving in with their girlfriend or wife, men tend to eat more fruits and vegetables, while women tend to eat more meat, rich sauces, full-fat milk and heavier meals, which leads to weight gain.

One reason women may overeat or eat worse in the initial stages of cohabitation may be that women are more likely to eat when faced with emotional stress in their relationship. Since the initial phase of moving in with a husband or boyfriend can be quite taxing for a woman, said Amelia Lake, study author and nutritionist from Newcastle University, UK, it may lead to a little extra munching.

Additionally, food quickly becomes an important part of a living together, as many couples report that eating their evening meal together was key to an ideal relationship.

But fear of weight gain should not stand in the way of moving in with your significant other. As time passes, a woman's healthy habits begin to dominate, mostly because she tends to do more of the cooking and food shopping for the couple.

Also, being proactive about eating healthy can help prevent weight gain after moving in together.

"You can't just blame an unhealthy lifestyle or diet on your partner," said Lake and emphasized that women can have a major influence on what their partner eats, including encouraging them to eat regular meals and more fruits and vegetables.

"Couples who move in together should use the opportunity of the honeymoon period to make positive changes to their diet and lifestyle by working together and supporting each other," Lake said.