Marriage and divorce may trigger weight gain in men and women for very different reasons. A new study shows marriage often prompts weight gain in women, while divorce is often the time when men pile on the pounds. This weight gain is not as frequent in younger people, but researchers say the effects may pose a health risk later in life when people settle into certain patterns of physical activity and diet. “Both marriages and divorces increase the risk of weight changes from about age 30 to 50, and the effect is stronger at later ages,” researcher Dmitry Tumin, a doctoral student in sociology at Ohio State University, says in a news release. “As you get older, having a sudden change in your life like a marriage or a divorce is a bigger shock than it would have been when you were younger, and that can really impact your weight.”
