How your stressed-out partner could be making YOU fat

IS your partner stressed?

If your answer's a yes, it may be time to watch your waistline - as a new study has revealed that your spouse's stress levels can make you fat.

Research carried out at the University of Michigan, found that having a stressed-out husband or wife can lead to weight gain - with 66 per cent of husbands and 70 per cent of wives at an increased risk of obesity at the study's conclusion.

A survey of 2,042 married individuals over 50 answered questions on waist size, stress levels and negative marriage quality (in other words, when someone only considers the negative aspects of their marriage).

The results, collected in 2006 and again in 2010, showed that when a husband reports greater negative marriage quality, there is a link between his spouse's stress and the expansion of both of their waistlines.

Meanwhile, in cases where a wife reports less negative marriage quality, there is a link between her stress and her partner's waist circumference.

However, researchers believe in this circumstance, a wife might report less negative marriage quality as she is simply not that invested in the relationship.

Kira Birditt, the study's lead author, said: "Marriage has powerful influences on health.

"The stress experienced by partners, and not the individual's stress, was associated with increased waist circumference.

"This effect of stress was even stronger in particular spousal relationships."

Responding to the results, the researchers said they are also applicable to younger couples - but as younger couples are usually healthier, the effect on obesity risk might not be as extreme.

Meanwhile, other studies have suggested the best way to combat stress is to deal with it as a couple - as goals created together can be more effective than those created individually.

The findings are published in the Journals of Gerontology.