"Happy Weight" is an unhealthy mindset

Question

"Happy weight" is associated with the weight gain people experience when getting into a relationship. According the Healthline, "Researchers concluded that the reason why happy couples gain weight is because they are less motivated to maintain their weight when they don't need to attract a mate." Less motivation leads to unhealthy eating habits and is not good for a long life of health. Couples should be lifting each other up and encouraging each other to eat well and maintain a good fitness balance in order to live long together.   

Comments

This claim can be argued to be true or not true, but I do think these claims can be opinion based as we don't know if it's true or not.It is hard to say this is true or false. I think this claim is opinion-based. There will be various opinions based on the various factors in people's relationships.

The research was done  by the National Institute of Health , and   according to them,"It was found that couples who had recently been happily married were twice more likely to put on weight whereas couples who reported being not as happy with their spouses were less likely to gain weight."

People may gain weight for various reasons and it can make them feel better about themselves. Happy weight  mindset is in the eye of the beholder

https://brightside.me/articles/scientists-found-that-couples-who-really-love-each-other-tend-to-gain-weight-626710/#:~:text=The%20study%20reached%20the%20conclusion,more%20weight%20due%20to%20stress.

Answer 1

This claim is largely opinion based, therefore unable to be falsified or proven to be true. Weight is subjective - there are different viewpoints on weight based on culture, geographic location, and personal beliefs. While there can be claims made about what are "healthy diets" or "effective weight loss methods", those would be more in the realm of a claim that could be called true or false.

"Happy weight", "Relationship weight", or "love weight" are all names given to the phenomena of couples gaining weight upon starting a relationship together. In the Washington Post's piece "Relationship weight gain is real — and can be a sign of happiness", they delved into studies being done at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Said studies, explained by Penny Gordon Larsen, a professor of global nutrition, have been difficult to conduct due to many different factors. These factors may speak to why your original claim is difficult to confirm. She went on to explain that they run into a lot of insufficient data during their attempts to study the phenomena, including only one partner participating, estimated pounds from participants, and the researchers only being able to conduct research after couples have already started dating. The window of time that the "relationship weight" can manifest itself is completely variable without a set time, weight, or indication. Professor Gordon Larsen went on to say that "happy weight" is entirely dependent on one's own perception of weight and weight gain.

Unhealthy eating habits are subjective in this instance too, different from person to person. It is true that the commonly thought theory of why "happy weight" is a phenomena is that people in secure relationships may feel less pressure to fit the standards that they once upheld for themselves while in the dating scene, or what they often call the "mating market model." Once again, these phenomenas are all perception based which make them unable to be confirmed. Still, the amount of variables that go into this phenomena are noted by researchers as they attempt to quantify what is happening in these instances.

Washington Post source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/08/09/relationship-weight-gain-reasons-research/

Answer 2

Reaching ones weight goal is something that can be very hard for people, and is also a big challenge for most. An article from the WELLNEST states that "Happy weight is a term we use to describe how you look your best when you feel your best. It’s that feeling when your body is strong, healthy, and full of energy. Your mind is clear, positive, and not weighed down with insecurities, anxieties, or fears." I think that taking this definition to heart is something that is very important when people are in their journey of finding their happy weight. The most important aspect is that you are happy with where you are and what you look like. Therefore, I think that happy weight isn't an unhealthy mindset if you are satisfied with where you are at with your weight, and also if you are with someone you love who also makes you happy. 

Source: https://www.humnutrition.com/blog/7-steps-to-reach-your-happy-weight-recipe/ 

Answer 3

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23477578/

According to this study done by the National Center for Biotechnology , Researchers discovered being happy in love makes you gain weight. Researchers followed 169 couples over the course of four years. The couples were weighed twice a year, and provided details about the overall satisfaction of their married life. The study showed that the couples who reported happy marriages gained weight, while those in unhappy marriages stayed slim, and ultimately broke up.

It is hard to say this is true or false. I think this claim is opinion based. There will be various opinions based on the various factors that go into people's relationships, their health, mental health, etc. Most people seem to gain weight because they are happy, but this still can not be proven.

Answer 4

I think the claim that "happy weight" is unhealthy is highly opinion based. So it can't be proven true or false, it's based on one's own opinion. The claim links an article from Healthline. According to a study mentioned in this article, living with another person is associated with obesity. This is because when living with another person, you can gain their unhealthy eating habits or lifestyles. While this can be proven with the study, the main claim of the source that people remain healthy outside of relationships because they "don't need to attract a mate" is not proven and is opinion based. Most of the trends mentioned, like eating out more with your significant other or having busier lifestyle after moving in with a partner have nothing to do with not trying to attract another person. Unhealthy eating habits or lifestyles are subject and so is an "unhealthy" weight. In an article from The Washington Post, they claim that weigh gain after a relationship can be a sign of happiness. The article says that whether "happy weight" is negative depends on each person's perception of weight gain. If someone is happier than they were before a weight gain, some people can perceive being mentally happier as healthier. It just depends on each person's opinion.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/08/09/relationship-weight-gain-reasons-research/

Answer 5

I believe this claim can be looked at in many different ways. "Happy Weight" can be seen as good and bad. I also think it depends on the people in the relationship. For example, if a person in a relationship starts to gain good weight (needs the weight) then it is positive. But if a person starts gaining weight that maybe isn't needed, then it's a negative.  I found an article from the The Washington Post that provided similar information to the link above. Relationship weight gain is hard to study and the answer differs because everyone's bodies are different. Another source from the HuffPost stated "... happily married couples tend to gain more weight than others" and "...many people associate their weight with their appearance -- something that often becomes less important once they've settled down...". Neither sources don't give a definitive answer therefore labeling it as an opinion-based claim.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/08/09/relationship-weight-gain-reasons-research/ 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/relationship-weight-gain_n_56bcbe6fe4b0c3c550504ce6