Marriage And Divorce Can Pack On The Pounds

What goes up with marriage, and then up some more with divorce?  A new study says it is our weight.

Changes in marital status can trigger significant changes in weight — and that those changes are usually in the upward direction — according to the Ohio State study, detailed in WBUR's CommonHealth blog.

The changes affect men and women differently, however. Women tend to be at greatest risk of gaining weight when they get married. But men are most likely to gain weight when they divorce.

In the other health news, for people who have gained large amounts of weight, the best chance to take it off and keep it off is bariatric surgery. But studies indicate that even though more and more people are severely overweight, the number of people getting surgery to address it has leveled off.

Research shows that the surgery is safer now than before, and that it can have positive health benefits. So why aren't people taking advantage of it? Cost and misunderstandings may be behind it.

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