July 21, 2004 -- Married women diet far more than single women.
July 21, 2004 -- Married women diet far more than single women. It's likely because they are dissatisfied with something in their lives -- marriage, health, job -- new research shows.
In fact, weight loss may be a prelude to divorce as she readies herself for the "marriage market," writes lead researcher Matthew W. Bending, a postgraduate student with the University of Warwick in England. His paper appears in the journal Research.
Just like the U.S., the U.K.'s weight problem is a huge problem -- an "obesity time bomb," he writes. Only 23% of British men and 31% of women are at a healthy weight; the rest are overweight, even obese -- with only small percentages who are underweight, Bending says.
"The willingness to pay to acquire a perfect body is huge, and sometimes an obsession," he adds. What's driving this dieting mania?
The Economics of Dieting
Dieting is driven by economics, since it involves consumption -- literally -- plus self-control, writes Bending. To achieve weight loss, the dieter must impose rules to switch from "bad" foods to better ones. "Rules in dieting play an important part, but there must be some form of pre-commitment for a diet to be successful," he writes.
That's where the dieter's mindset comes into play -- and the crux of Bending's report. Married couples may go on a diet together to ensure that each sticks to the diet. But, he notes, in any household, whoever buys the food controls whether cake or other naughty foods are in the fridge. Therefore, if one partner is on a diet, the other is, too.
Weight loss plays an important role in helping people build "health capital," he explains. The costs of restricting one's consumption are evident immediately -- we don't get to eat all the stuff we like. But the dieter has to keep future benefits in mind, like slimming down and gaining self-esteem.
"Dieting is a type of investment, with the benefits occurring in the future," writes Bending. Dieting has an impact on the "marriage market" -- what's known as the economics of self-improvement.
"Self-improving gives an individual a higher level of pizzazz," Bending writes. "Individuals with higher level of pizzazz ... are more likely to choose/match with partners that have similar traits." They also have an edge in the marriage market.
But after marriage there's often a downhill slide, he writes. "They may decide to become less exciting and attractive because they are content within their marriage. This would mean that married individuals would be less likely to diet as they will no longer self-improve -- allowing themselves to gain weight," writes Bending.
In fact, gaining weight may signal their commitment to the marriage -- that they have no need to be attractive since they're not in the market. When married people decide to diet, it may be for health reasons. It may also be a joint effort, where they encourage each other to lose weight.
However, once divorce or separation is in the picture, people are again more likely to diet -- to re-gain the market edge that thinness provides, he explains.
