Wedding-related weight change: the ups and downs of love

The present study examined wedding-related weight change in 343 brides recruited from Bridal Expos in South Australia. Demographic measures and questions about weight were assessed over three time points: upon entry into the study (n=343), 1-month pre-wedding (n=130), and 6-months post-wedding (n=112). Although close to 50% of brides-to-be indicated a desire to lose weight before their weddings, linear mixed modelling revealed that their average weight did not change in the lead up to their wedding. However, 6 months after their wedding, participants had gained approximately 2kg. In addition, women who had been told to lose weight before their wedding gained significantly more weight post-wedding compared to participants who had not been told to lose weight. The findings demonstrate that wedding-related weight change may be an important factor in the body image of newlyweds and clinicians should be mindful of potential body dissatisfaction associated with post-wedding weight gain.