MARRIED men tend to get fat — and are more likely to be overweight than bachelors.
Scientists say many let themselves go after tying the knot, putting on most flab in the first five years.
GettyMen gain weight and get chubby after getting married, a study found[/caption]
They eat more calories, drink more booze, smoke more and are less active — playing only a third as much sport as their unmarried mates, a study showed.
Women, on the other hand, tend to stay the same weight on average after marriage.
Dr Shiwen Quan, of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said married men were 5.2 per cent more likely to be overweight and 2.5 per cent more likely to be obese.
He studied data from blokes aged between 18 and 45 living at 6,000 homes in China between 1989 and 2015.
He said: “The average effect of marriage on men’s daily calorie intake shows an upward trend . . . but there is no clear pattern in women.
“Men often exercise less and eat more after tying the knot, leading to a higher body mass index. Those seeking a partner are motivated to control their physical health, while those already married may be less inclined to do so.”
Forty per cent of men in England are overweight and another 27 per cent are obese.
A total of 31 per cent of women are overweight, with 30 per cent obese.
Around half of Brits are married.