By Sandy Braz

Coupled up, shacked up or newly married, there is a price to pay for being head over heels in love.

Researchers at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health found that people who are in romantic relationships may be more likely to gain weight.

How does it happen?
• Increasing food portions (cooking for two)
• Cuddling on the couch in front of the TV (in lieu of going to the gym or playing sports)
• Picking up poor nutritional habits from a significant other (“extra sauce,” you say?)

The study showed that married women (and men) were more than twice as likely to tip the scales, while women living with a romantic partner (but not married) were 63 percent more likely to grow their waistlines. Cohabitating men, on the other hand, had no increased risk for weight gain.

Don’t let it happen by:
• Planning meals together (just look at this month’s issue of Oxygen for ideas).
• Swapping that Big Brother marathon for an evening stroll
• Making a pact to eat clean as a pair – it works best when someone is there to support you.