Married people 'twice as likely to be fat'

Married people are twice as likely to become obese than their single counterparts, scientists claim. Greek researchers found that married couples were more likely to become fat due to their significantly changed lifestyle as they “let themselves go”. Married men are three times as likely to suffer obesity while married women are twice as likely to have weight problems, it found. The research, based on the study of more than 17,000 couples aged between 20 and 70, found that married couples exercised less frequently, had less sex, had poor nutrition and were “comfortable” in their lives. Married couples spend more time eating together, sit in front of the TV more and often order takeaway ready meals while exercising less. Scientists from Salonica and Ioannina Universities, who presented their research on Friday to the Panhellenic Medical Conference, in Athens, concluded that “abdominal obesity, or belly fat” was the worst problem among married people. Prof Dimitris Kiortsis, one of the study's co-authors, said that obesity was found to be directly related to a change in lifestyle. Prof Kiortsis, from Ioannina University who is also president of the Hellenic Medical Association for Obesity, said most married couples also have less sex, which is considered intense exercise that burns calories. He said that unmarried individuals originally spend a lot of time keeping fit and making themselves attractive in order to find a partner "but once they get married they let themselves go”. "The need to hunt for a partner is reduced," he said. "Stress and anxiety is reduced in a good marriage, there is less smoking, and therefore one's appetite increases." The study advised married couples to take up more exercise, to have only one home-cooked meal a day, to avoid snacks, and to follow a Mediterranean diet which includes a lot of fruit, vegetables and olive oil.

譯：

科研人員日前稱，已婚人士發胖的幾率為單身人士的兩倍。 希臘研究人員日前發現，已婚人士對自己“放任自流”，生活方式發生顯著變化，因此容易發胖。 調查發現，已婚男士肥胖的幾率為單身男士的三倍，而已婚女士肥胖的幾率為單身女士的兩倍。 該研究基於一項對17000對年齡在20歲到70歲之間的夫婦進行的調查。研究發現，人們在結婚後鍛煉次數減少，性生活減少，營養不良，生活處於一種“安逸”狀態。 調查發現，已婚夫婦一起吃飯、坐著看電視的時間增多，他們經常叫外賣，同時鍛煉次數減少。 來自希臘薩洛尼卡和約阿尼納大學的科研人員於上周五在雅典召開的泛希臘醫學大會上展示瞭他們的研究成果。研究人員得出結論：“啤酒肚”是已婚人群中存在的最嚴重的問題。 研究報告的撰寫人之一迪米特瑞斯•奇奧爾特西斯教授說，肥胖與生活方式的改變直接相關。 希臘肥胖醫學會主席、來自約阿尼納大學的奇奧爾特西斯教授說，大多數已婚夫婦性生活減少，而性生活被認為是一種可燃燒熱量的高強度運動。 他說，人們在單身時為瞭尋找伴侶會花很多時間來保健和增強自身吸引力，“可一旦結瞭婚，他們就放任自流瞭”。 “這是因為他們沒有找對象的壓力瞭。” “美滿的婚姻會減少人的壓力和焦慮感，同時吸煙量的減少會增強人的食欲。” 研究建議已婚夫婦多進行體育鍛煉，每天隻吃一頓傢常大餐，少吃點心，並遵循地中海食譜——多吃水果、蔬菜，食用橄欖油。