Lies Wives Believe

What Role Does Weight Play In Marriage?

In the Country Song, Hot Mama, Trace Adkins confronts something all marriage relationships go through:

You’re doin’ all you can to get in them old jeans.
You want that body back, you had at seventeen.
Baby, don’t get down; don’t worry ’bout a thing.
‘Cause the way you fill ‘em out, hey, that’s all right with me.
I don’t want the girl you used to be.
An’ if you ain’t noticed, the kids are fast asleep,

- Trace Adkins, Hot Mama Lyrics

We all know that bodies change, they never stay the same.  For the wife and mother, this is even more dramatic.  It seems that, for nine months, the soon to be mom is putting on weight, and then is expected to lose it all in the first few days after the baby makes its appearance.

Let alone the fact that there’s “sympathy weight” that the man gets, metabolisms going down, less time to get out and work out—it seems only the natural progression that the husband and the wife will put on weight.

But should that effect the relationship, does it?

Weight And Attraction

Men and women find different things attractive, but they usually revolve around money, appearance, and perceived power.  I don’t believe that either sex finds being overweight attractive, but men are more picky in this area than women:

Nearly half of men questioned in the poll of 70,000 people said they would ditch a partner who gained weight, compared to only 20 percent of women. 

[Half of men would ditch woman who gained weight: poll]

Which may seem surprising, but I’ve read enough jokes and forum postings where people have talked about how much weight their wife had gained compared to those that they see around them.

Men are quick to judge in this area, but part of the problem, I believe, is the weight that they themselves have gained.

Thank You Medical Industry

You see, many men have also put on weight, it’s just more socially acceptable.  While some women stress over the impact of a candy bar, most men indulge in soda pop and other sweets with abandon.  It’s almost a badge of honor to be able to “eat whatever I want.”

And we have a pharmaceutical industry built around this concept—to support the heart problems, cholesterol problems, and to give you a pill for weight loss.  Many of the people on maintenance medications would not have to be on them if they had a better diet!

What Can Be Done?

Believe it or not, you can’t force your partner to work out.  You can’t make them eat better.  You can, however, eat better and work out yourself.

A funny thing will happen if you do.  You’ll find that as you lose weight, and are more attractive, your partner will want to be more attractive as well—and have your energy level.  You might find that they start eating better and they start prioritizing working out.

Work on it together, and see if you can help both of you save money and live a better, healthier life!