Study: Older Women Who Stay Single, Get Divorced See Positive Changes In Health

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A recent study finds that older women who are single or go through a divorce may lose weight and see some positive changes in their health.

However, the study also shows that women who get married later in life gain more weight than those who stay single.

"Earlier studies on marriage and divorce have shown that marriage is usually associated with a longer lifespan and fewer health problems, while divorce is associated with a higher mortality," Dr. Randa Kutob, the study's lead author and director of the University of Arizona's College of Medicine's Office of Continuing Medical Education, said in a statement.

She continued, "The interesting thing we found in our study is that with divorce in postmenopausal women, it's not all negative, at least not in the short term."

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Researchers at the University of Arizona looked at data of more than 160,000 postmenopausal women between the ages of 59 and 79 over a three-year period. The women were divided in groups of those who went from single to married over the course of three years; those who were married but went through a separation or divorce; and those whose marital status did not change.

Researchers looked at the data measuring weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption.

The research reveals that all the women who started the study unmarried saw weight gain over the three-year period. Kutob said that is not uncommon for women as they age.

But those who went from unmarried to married gained more weight than those who remained single.

The older married women gained about two pounds and saw a slight increase in their waistline over the course of the study, while women who divorced lost weight and went down some in inches.

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Researchers said one theory for weight gain in marriages is couples sitting down to eat together often consume sometimes larger meals.

"Potentially it's portion size, because it doesn't seem to be related to their food choices," Kutob said.

The study also found the women who remained unmarried drank less than those who had a spouse.

"As a health provider, my takeaway is that I should be thinking about marital transitions, and when people get married, say congratulations but also give them some advice and tools for their health, and encourage all women as they age to continue being physically active," Kutob said.

The study will be published in the Journal of Women's Health.