Arguing can lead to weight gain
Battles with your spouse can be linked to battles with your weight finds a new study.
Researchers at Ohio State University discovered that arguing with your partner was linked to an appetite-triggering hormone called ghrelin.
The study looked at 43 couples who had been married for a minimum of three years, ate a meals together and then tried to resolve a conflict in their relationships. They also completed questionaries, which included responses to their general anxiety symptoms and sleep quality, and had a sample of blood and saliva taken, so levels of stress-related hormones and immune cells could be tested.
The study results, published in Clinical Psychological Science, indicated there was a link between marital distress and poor food choices, with the aftermath of fights typically leaving couples reaching for junk food.
Lead study author, Lisa Jaremka, a University of Delaware assistant professor specialising in psychology and brain sciences, said: “Ghrelin's not just pushing you to eat. It's creating a craving for specific types of foods: those that are high in sugar, high in fat and high in salt.”
Jaremka says the study was prompted by data that suggested couples who experienced high levels of marital difficulties were more likely to suffer from weight-related health problems and tended to have shorter life spans.
She emphasised there was nothing to suggest fighting caused hunger, but there findings suggested a strong correlation between the two. It is hoped these results will lead to greater understanding of the link between marital hardships and health problems.