Lonely marriages linked to higher weight, study finds

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FILE - A new study by UCLA Health found that people in emotionally supportive marriages have lower BMIs, healthier guts and higher levels of the "love hormone."(Photo by OMAR KARIM/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Emotionally supportive marriages have been linked to lower obesity rates and better gut health in a new study that found "the love hormone" plays a crucial role in self-control and metabolism.

The UCLA Health study, published recently in the journal Gut Microbes, is the first to show how social bonds influence weight and food cravings through improved brain function, higher metabolism and the hormone oxytocin.

Lonely marriages linked to higher BMI

Big picture view: According to UCLA Health, researchers looked at 100 people in the Los Angeles area and found that married people with higher perceived emotional support had a lower body mass index. They also found fewer food addiction behaviors compared to married participants with low emotional support.

What they’re saying: "We’ve known for years that social relationships impact health, with supportive connections increasing survival rates by up to 50%," lead author Dr. Arpana Church, a neuroscientist at UCLA Health, said in a news release. "The biological mechanisms explaining this connection have remained elusive. Our study reveals a novel pathway showing how marriage and emotional support literally get ‘under the skin’ to influence obesity risk."

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Brain imaging showed people in supportive marriages had "enhanced activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which manages cravings and appetite," when they were shown images of food. 

Unmarried people – both with and without strong emotional support – showed different brain patterns, potentially due to more diverse and less consistent social support networks.

Social support also showed beneficial changes in tryptophan metabolites – compounds in the gut that regulate inflammation, immune function, energy and brain health. Those same metabolites also aid in making serotonin and other compounds that can enhance mood, social behavior and metabolism.

Why you should care:

The research suggests that the quality of relationships may be equally important to physical health as factors like exercise and diet.

"These results underscore the critical importance of building long-lasting, positive and stable relationships to promote overall health," Church said. "Social connections aren’t just emotionally fulfilling; they’re biologically embedded in our health."

The ‘love hormone’

Dig deeper:

The findings show that married people have higher levels of the hormone oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone." Oxytocin plays a notable role in self-control and a healthier gut.

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"Think of oxytocin as a conductor orchestrating a symphony between the brain and gut," Church said. "It strengthens the brain’s ability to resist food cravings while promoting beneficial metabolic processes in the gut, both of which help maintain healthy weight."

"Marriage may serve as a training ground for self-control," said Church. "Maintaining a long-term partnership requires consistently overriding destructive impulses and aligning with long-term goals, which may strengthen the same brain circuits involved in managing eating behavior."

What's next:

Researchers hope to have larger, more diverse samples to boost the limitations of the current study.