Happy Fat

Over the past 5 years I’ve managed to put on 5 kilos and go up 2 sizes. Every wardrobe cleanout brings with it the sad realisation that I will probably throw out yet another pair of jeans (or two, or three or four) that no longer fit.

Maybe it's because physical education isn’t compulsory in university.

Maybe it's because I stopped going to the gym.

Maybe it's my once fast metabolism is catching up with me.

Maybe it's because my body is preparing itself for motherhood: the good hip for having kids.

Or maaaaaaaybe it's because I've gotten a little too comfortable in my relationship with my boyfriend. It's like we breathe food. We eat so much we practically waddle out of restaurants.

Commonly known as happy fat, this blog will explore the latter possible cause. According to Urban Dictionary, “happy fat is the fat a person puts on during a happy relationship”.

So I asked a few of the kind folks on my Facebook whether or not they believed it existed. Here's what they said:

• If that was true, obese people would be the happiest people in the world. 'Relationship weight' is the term, and I read an article that it averages 7kgs.
• How do you spend time with you partner? You go out to eat, then you go out to eat some more. One year later you have happy fat. LOL I’m living proof.
• Yes, I reckon people just feel so comfortable that they sorta 'let go'? Psychologically they feel they don’t have to impress anyone.
• Depends on the person, generally I believe it is true. However, there are couples whom are both active and like to maintain their health and fitness... then there are those who do not.
• Yes. LOL. They get too comfortable with their partners so they kinda 'let go.'
• Yes, because you tend to always go out dining together and feed each other. LOL My friend has gained a bit of weight in her happy relationship, especially when you love one another so much you don't care about the physical appearance side nor worry about maintaining your figure.
• In a way I do think its true... they start to become a lot more comfortable with each other, their personalities are enough to keep them in the relationship so they kinda let loose.

It seems that happy fat comes with letting go. Of trying to look good. Of exercising. Of eating healthy (or at least less). We let go because someone loves us just the way we were, are and will be.

The sad part of it is that so much of courtship is centered around food – of meeting up for coffee, dining out, greasy late night snacks and morning-after breakfasts. Christina Fernando, author of How to Avoid Relationship Weight Gain explains that “food has become a ritualistic way for couples to bond.” Heck we celebrate anniversaries with food.

Furthermore, "a study conducted by Cornell University found that newlyweds gain more weight on average than single people or widowers or divorcees, usually within the first two years of getting married" (Lifescript).

If this keeps up, I wonder how people in the future will ask each other out. "Hey, I like you. Wanna go for a jog sometime?"

Love, Noeline
xox