CarnalNation

A study conducted by online market researcher, OnePoll.com reveals that getting married may be bad for your waistline. Over 20 percent of brides put on an average of 21 pounds within one year of getting hitched.

More than half of the 3000 female respondents claim to no longer worry about their weight and appearance and one in five admitted to overindulging while on their honeymoon. While overindulging and significant weight gain may be unhealthy, developing comfort with your body and positive body image is a healthy achievement.

A spokesman for Yakult, the company that commissioned the research, explains: ''For months, losing weight and getting their body into perfect shape for their wedding is the most important thing for most brides-to-be. Then suddenly, post wedding, we forget about keeping our waistline in shape and sometimes seem to make up for lost time - especially on all inclusive honeymoons. Some people face that post-wedding anti-climax with comfort eating and staying in rather than having healthy meals and gym visits, and find their previous hard work all goes to waste.”

Over one third of new brides expressed that it is difficult to eat well after the wedding, as they no longer have the wedding day and honeymoon as motivational factors. One quarter claimed that they turned to comfort eating as a way to lift their spirits after the big day came and went.

Though Yakult’s interpretation of the study findings focuses on body shape and size as opposed to overall health, eating a high fibre, low-fat diet in conjunction with regular exercise is a healthy strategy for everyone – not just new brides and brides-to-be.