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What girls gain from partners
Moving in with a boyfriend causes women to eat more unhealthily and put on weight, researchers say. For men, however, moving in with a female partner brings long-term health benefits. Dieticians said "honeymoon period" partners change their dietary habits to mimic and impress each other.
- Evening Standard
- Published: 00:00 April 7, 2006
London: Moving in with a boyfriend causes women to eat more unhealthily and put on weight, researchers say.
For men, however, moving in with a female partner brings long-term health benefits. Dieticians said "honeymoon period" partners change their dietary habits to mimic and impress each other.
Men eat more light meals, such as salads, fruit and vegetables. But women choose to make creamier, heavier dishes such as curries or rich pasta sauces to please their partners, according to the report in the journal Complete Nutrition. Women still have the strongest long-term influence over the couple's diet and lifestyle, as they still tend to do the shopping and cooking.
Dieticians at Newcastle University's Human Nutrition Research Centre reviewed several UK, North American and Australian studies of couples' eating and lifestyle habits. A key reason for the change is the symbolic nature that food assumes in a relationship, the study said. Many couples reported food as being central to their partnership, and eating together in the evening was particularly important to many.
Report author Dr Amelia Lake said: "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. But couples who have been in their relationships for longer should remember it is never too late to make changes. Again this needs teamwork."
The survey showed women use food as a comfort when dealing with stress and gain weight when a relationship ends, but men do not appear to do so.
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