'Til Dinner Do Us Part: This Is How Much Weight You'll Gain In Marriage

Turns out, love weight is a real thing.

According to a recent study, married people tend to have higher body mass indices (BMI) than single folks.

The study, which was published in Social Science & Medicine, analyzed the eating habits, exercise routines and weights of over 10,000 adults from countries around Europe.

On average, a man tends to jump from a BMI of 25.7 when single to 26.3 after marriage while a woman slightly increases from 25.1 to 25.6. The difference results in a gained average of about 4.5 pounds.

The researchers determined this change can be attributed to exercise behaviors and eating habits: Married couples tend to exercise less but eat healthier than their single counterparts, which may explain the slight increase in both male and female average weights.

According to the lead author in the study, Jutta Mata, the changes in eating behaviors are most drastic among males but are still observable among a majority of women as well.

Long story short: If you're going to tie the knot, stick to your exercise regimen to keep the pounds off.

Or you could just let it all go! After all, you're married now; your partner is stuck with you.

Citations: Heres How Much Weight Youll Gain After You Get Married (Cosmopolitan)