A University of Queensland study has found that women who live with a partner gain more weight than those without a partner or child. The study, published in the January edition of The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, also found that women also experience a larger weight gain after having their first baby.
The work was performed by researchers from the UQ Schools of Population Health and Human Movement Studies – Professor Wendy Brown, Professor Annette Dobson and Richard Hockey co-authored the study. As part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's health, the researchers surveyed more than 6000 Australian women over a 10 year period to assess the factors associated with weight gain in young women.
Women with a baby and partner gained the most weight, followed by those with a partner and no baby. Women without a partner or children still gained weight, but at a lower rate.
Professor Dobson and co-authors suggest that the weight gain among all women may be explained by changing social and behavioural factors. “This is a general health concern as obesity rates continue to increase,” said Professor Dobson. “Getting married or moving in with a partner and having a baby are events that trigger even further weight gain. We must look at ways to prevent health risks by focusing on the times when women need to be especially careful.”
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