It’s official! People in relationships are more likely to gain weight

It's not uncommon to gain weight when you're in a new relationship – after all, all those dinner dates and Chinese takeaways will eventually take their toll. 

However, it seems that even when the honeymoon period has been and gone, people who are romantically involved are still more likely to gain weight than their single counterparts. 

Researchers at Central Queensland University in Australia examined over 15,000 adults to find out whether or not a person's relationship status could affect their ability to lead a healthy lifestyle. 

Almost three quarters of the participants had romantic partners and there was an even amount of men and women. 

Interestingly, results showed that people in relationships tended to follow healthier lifestyles, but still had higher BMIs than the single folk. 

Lead researcher Stephanie Schoeppe reckons the reduced pressure to look good and the affect of having children could have something to do with this. 

“When couples don’t need to look attractive and slim to attract partner, they may feel more comfortable in eating more, or eating more foods high in fat and sugar,” she told New Scientist.

So, the next time you blame your partner after gaining a few pounds, you'll actually have scientific evidence to back it up.