• 14
  • September
    2011

Many Denver residents probably have friends whom they have noticed seem to have put on a few pounds after a divorce. Now, a new study from the University of Ohio in Columbus suggests that the apparent extra girth may not be anyone's imagination. That study reported that while women tend to gain weight after marriage, men are more likely to gain weight after a divorce.

This new study comes on the heels of several others that have found other health consequences associated with divorce, such as a an increased susceptibility to chronic conditions and a shortened lifespan for divorced or widowed individuals.

Of course, it is important to remember that these health effects do not automatically occur as the result of a divorce. Rather, they are most likely the results of other things associated with the process of separating from a spouse, such as an increased stress level and a decrease in hours slept. Not every divorce has to be draining - the services of a family law attorney, for example, can make a divorce go much more smoothly - so these studies should not be taken to mean negative health consequences are a foregone conclusion.

This most recent study's author, a doctoral student in sociology at the University of Ohio, said that divorces for men and marriages for women seem to promote "weight gains that may be large enough to pose a health risk," although in many cases the weight gain was not large enough to be a concern. He has not publicized just how much of a weight gain may occur, nor has he offered any reason for why men seem more likely to gain weight after a divorce.

In both the case of women gaining weight after marriage and of men gaining weight after a divorce, the effects were less pronounced among people in their 20s and were more noticeable among those over 30. We gain weight more easily as we age, so there is obviously that correlation as well.

Of course, every person who is in the process of divorce has a laundry list of things to think about and health matters may not be tops on that list. It is vital to pay attention to your physical condition at any stage of life, however. If you are going through a divorce, make sure you do not forget to look after yourself.

Source: United Press International, "Men pack on pounds after divorce," Aug. 22, 2011.