Researchers at Florida State University studied 113 newlywed couples in their twenties living in Texas. They explored how attraction and eating habits relate to marriage dynamics.
Marriages Thrive When Women Feel More Attractive
Previous surveys revealed that marriages tend to be more successful when the wife is perceived as more attractive than the husband. At least, that’s how both partners see it. This sparked the researchers’ curiosity about how having a more attractive husband might influence the marriage.
Why Might Marriages Work Better When Women Feel More Attractive?
It’s likely because women receive the care and attention they desire. Husbands know their attractive wives could easily be swept away if they’re not loving and attentive. At the same time, the husband’s natural drive stays alive—he can’t just relax completely. Women, meanwhile, enjoy security and ideal conditions, with no thought of disrupting the harmony.
In this study, participants first completed a questionnaire. Experts asked how much each spouse wished to be thinner and their willingness to diet, exploring the connection between couples’ eating habits and their relationship. Then, researchers assessed how well couples met each other’s expectations.
For example, if a wife wanted to be thinner, did she meet her husband’s preferences, or was he perfectly happy with her as she was?
They also analyzed how closely each participant matched an ideal based on facial and body symmetry and proportions, ensuring no bias toward appearance alone.
It Turns Out We Diet Not for Health, but to Keep Our Partners
…even when the husband doesn’t ask for it. The researchers hypothesized that less attractive wives consciously or unconsciously try to "appease" their husbands, compensating for perceived shortcomings. Women who feel less ideal are more likely to start dieting.
It turns out women diet much more often when their husbands are attractive. Men, however, tend to be more relaxed about this—they don’t base their eating habits on their partner’s looks or lack thereof.
Tania Reynolds, one of the study’s authors, explained that “the findings suggest that having a physically attractive husband can negatively impact a wife’s self-image, especially if she is not notably attractive herself.”
These insights are important because they shed light on why eating disorders are so common today and why the diet industry is booming. For many women, becoming slim and attractive isn’t just about gaining approval from others. Many are likely trying—sometimes unconsciously—to meet their partner’s expectations and essentially keep their relationship alive.
“The research suggests social factors play a major role in women’s eating habits and disorders,” Reynolds adds.
