Stay fit: Want to stay slim? Tie the knot!

Study reveals married people are more likely to stay in shape

LONDON: Married people are more likely to stay in shape compared to those who remain single, claim Japanese researchers. A new study has found that married men are less likely to suffer metabolic syndrome — a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity which damages the blood vessels — although the same does not apply to women.

“Our findings show that being married and living with one’s spouse reduces the risk of being overweight by approximately 50% among patients with Type 2 diabetes,” lead author Yoshinobu Kondo of Yokohama City University was quoted as saying. “Men who were married and lived with their spouse also exhibited a risk reduction of 58% for metabolic syndrome.”

The researchers stated that married couples are more likely to eat healthier and take their medication on time. The study involved 270 people with Type 2 diabetes, including 180 married and 90 single, with an average age of 65. The body mass index of the participants was calculated and the fat content of each individual’s body was measured. The married group was 50% less likely to be overweight when compared to the single group, the findings showed.

The research was presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in Munich, Germany.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2016.

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