7 Surprising Health Benefits of Being Married

While marriage can be good for you in a lot of ways - someone to share the financial burdens, a partner in taking out the trash, a standing Friday-night movie date on the couch - the effects on your health aren't always positive, particularly when it comes to your waistline. Reports suggest that married folks pack on the pounds when compared to their unmarried peers. One report suggests that newlyweds who are satisfied in their marriage gain weight in the early years after swapping vows. It may not be just a few pounds, either, as marriage actually increases obesity rates. With all of the research out there, I went about finding some of the health benefits of that old ball-and-chain. One factor seemed to stand out over and over again: marital conflict can lead to poorer health, and happier marriages make for healthier people. But weight aside, studies supporting the benefits of marriage on health abound. Click through for 7 surprising health benefits of being married! -By Erin Whitehead

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