The Odd Reason Couples Who Argue A Lot Tend To Gain Weight Faster, According To Research
You're fighting, and so is your metabolism.
Seyed Amir | Unsplash Whenever I hear of a couple that claims they don't argue, I'm immediately suspicious. No relationship, whether it's a friendship, marriage, or even a friend-with-benefits thing, can escape the occasional argument about something.
It's also totally healthy to argue from time to time; far healthier than keeping it in and letting it stew. While this is true, there is such a thing as arguing too much, and doing so can affect not just your relationship but also your waistline.
According to research, couples who argue a lot tend to gain faster than couples who don't.
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A 2014 study found that your excess arguing could be making you overweight. This is especially true for those persons who suffer from depression or any type of mood disorder. The problem is that huge blowout arguments affect how high-fat foods are processed in the body and result in fewer calories being burned.
In marriages where fighting was just a constant theme, those couples burned, on average, 31 fewer calories an hour than those who were in a marriage where arguing wasn't as frequent.
One would think that getting fired up and shaking your hand wildly at your spouse while you try to prove your point would help you burn calories, but no such luck. Sorry, you guys.
The study involved 43 healthy couples who had been married for at least three years. After they were given questionnaires about their marriage, depression, and mood disorders, they were given a pretty hearty meal totaling 930 calories and 60 grams of fat.
Then, roughly two hours after their meal, the couples were asked to discuss topics given to them by the researchers that were specifically chosen to really get each partner ticked off and yelling.
Over the next several hours, the couples were continually tested via their blood and breathing. Not only were the calories burned in a minimal amount, but the angry participants also had 12 percent more insulin in their blood; insulin is a big contributor to weight gain because it likes to store fat and never let it go.
Takeaway from the research? Don't allow yourself to get out of control when you could just take a breather and talk calmly.
And try to refrain from arguing all the time; there is no need to harp on the same topic over and over again. You need to realize that sometimes seeing eye-to-eye just isn't going to happen, so walk away.
It's hard enough trying to beat the bulge, so anything we can do is definitely going to help. Sure, making out after an argument is great, but even physical intimacy after an argument loses its appeal when it's happening all the time.
Amanda Chatel has been a wellness and relationship journalist for over a decade. Her work has been featured in Glamour, Shape, Self, and other outlets.
