Women are most likely to gain weight after marriage while men tend to pile on the pounds following a divorce, according to research.

A study of more than 10,000 people surveyed between 1986 and 2008 found that both marrying and getting divorced can have a “weight shock” effect that leads to rapid weight gain, especially in over-30s.

　 Researchers used data from a national survey in which men and women were weighed every year to see how many pounds they gained or lost in the two years following a marriage or divorce.

　 They found that up to the age of 30 there was little impact on the weight of either men or women, but after this point the probability of weight gain after marriage or divorce began to rise steadily until the age of 50.

　 Both sexes were more likely to gain weight in the two years after a divorce or marriage than someone who had never been married, the research showed.

　 But there was a marked difference between men and women in which marital event was the most traumatic on the waistline.

　 The study says it is not clear why men's and women's waistlines respond differently to marriage and divorce.

　 But Prof Zhenchao Qian, one of the researchers, said: “Married women often have a larger role around the house than men do, and they may have less time to exercise and stay fit than similar unmarried women.

　 “On the other hand, studies show that married men get a health benefit from marriage, and they lose that benefit once they get divorced, which may lead to their weight gain,”added Qian.

　 据英国《每日电讯报》8月22日报道，研究称，女性很可能在结婚后变胖，而男性离婚后体重则更易增加。

　 在1986至2008年期间进行的一项涉及10000多名调查对象的研究发现，结婚和离婚都会对人的体重产生“冲击”性的影响，使得人们，尤其是30岁以上人的体重激增。

　 在一项全国性调查中，每年人们都会对男性和女性的体重进行测量，以观察他们在离婚或结婚后两年内的体重增减情况。研究人员采用了这项调查的数据。

　 他们发现，直到30岁，离婚或结婚对两性体重的影响都不大，但30岁之后再结婚或离婚，体重就会稳步增加，并且这种现象将持续到50岁。

　 研究表明，那些离婚或结婚的人比从未有过婚史的人更易在两年内增重。

　 但是，婚姻对男性和女性腰围影响的情况却有着明显差异。

　 研究人员说，至于结婚和离婚对男性和女性腰围状况造成不同影响的原因，目前还无法给出明确解释。

　 但研究员钱振朝教授说：“已婚女性在家庭中担任的角色往往比男性更多，这就使她们相较于未婚女性来说，更缺乏时间进行锻炼和保持健康。”

　 “另一方面，研究表明，婚姻有益于男性的健康，一旦离婚，他们就失去了这些益处，体重也就可能增加，”钱补充说。