OBESITY AND MARITAL QUALITY - ANALYSIS OF WEIGHT, MARITAL UNHAPPINESS, AND MARITAL PROBLEMS IN A US NATIONAL SAMPLE

Obesity is a stigmatized condition that clinical studies have suggeste d is associated with low marital quality. Body weight, marital unhappi ness, and marital problems were examined in a national telephone surve y of 1,980 married adults. Few relationships between the 5 measures of weight and 2 measures of marital quality (unhappiness and problems) w ere significant Obese men had more marital problems. Men who lost more weight reported marital problems less often. Obese women reported les s marital unhappiness. Men and women who gained weight were happier wi th their marriages. These population-based findings differ from popula r beliefs and clinical studies and may be interpreted using family fun ctioning, social norms, and marital exchange models.