Why young Indian couples are putting on the kilos

India Today

21-07-2025

There's the mirror effect: 'When your partner reaches for chips, you do too. When they skip their morning run, so do you." (Photo: Generative AI) More than one in four young married couples in India is overweight or obese
Food apps increase availability of high-calorie meals leading to weight gain
Emotional eating and partner influence contribute to unhealthy habits
Young, married, and seemingly thriving, but is it all good for the body?
As incomes rise, food apps multiply, and the late-night snacking gets fancier, young urban Indian couples are seeing a not-so-cute side effect: they're gaining weight together.
According to a recent Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study, more than one in four young married couples in India is either overweight or obese.
So, what's really going on? Is love making us lazy? Or are couples just eating their way into comfort?
WHEN FOOD IS JUST A SWIPE AWAY
'The availability of high-calorie dishes through food apps is making things worse,' says Dr. Pradeep Kumar Jain, Chairman, GI Oncology, Minimal Access & Bariatric Surgery at Fortis Shalimar Bagh.
Dr. Jain says he's seen a steady rise in obesity, diabetes, hypertension and fatty liver disease among young patients in the last few years. Most of them are urban, newly married, and eating well but moving very little. There's a steady rise in obesity, diabetes, hypertension and fatty liver disease among young patients in the last few years. ()
'Most of them are late sleepers who keep eating till late hours. Affluence and sedentary lifestyles where satisfying the senses matters more is a perfect recipe for obesity,' he tells IndiaToday.in.
THE PARTNER EFFECT: DOUBLE THE FUN, DOUBLE THE FAT?
'Couples influence each other heavily in all aspects of life,' explains Dr. Jain, 'including eating habits, partying, and exercise routines. So, if both partners enjoy the same kind of sedentary lifestyle, then weight gain becomes almost inevitable.'
He adds that young couples from wealthy families, with fewer responsibilities, often lean toward a 'fun-loving lifestyle' filled with late-night parties, eating out, and endless binge-watching.
Add to that India's rich food culture, carb-heavy diets, sweets, red meat, alcohol in certain states, and you've got yourself a weighty problem.
AFTER THE WEDDING COMES... LESS WALKING
There seems to be a significant drop in physical activity after marriage. Physical appearance becomes less of a priority. People start eating elaborate meals outside, work late hours, and get busy with future financial planning.
And then there's the impact on women. India's rich food culture, carb-heavy diets, sweets, red meat, alcohol in certain states lead to a weighty problem. (Photo: India Today)
'Infertility and PCOD are associated with obesity,' says Dr. Jain. 'So social and marital life can take a hit post-marriage. Men, on the other hand, become more career-focused and start ignoring physical health.'
EMOTIONAL WEIGHT: WHY LOVE MAKES US EAT MORE
Dr. Sandhya Sharma, Consultant Psychologist at Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, puts it simply: 'The comfort trap.'
'Once you find 'the one', the pressure to look perfect fades. You order dessert without guilt. Skip the gym because your partner loves you anyway,' she explains. 'It's beautiful but dangerous.'
According to Dr. Sharma, food becomes a couple's love language. Midnight biryani runs, ice cream after fights -- calories are now emotional currency.
Then there's the mirror effect: 'When your partner reaches for chips, you do too. When they skip their morning run, so do you.'
She also reveals an overlooked emotional trigger. 'Couple fights raise stress hormones that make you crave sugar and carbs. That post-argument ice cream? It's not just emotional, it's biological.'
The list of modern culprits is long: there's the restaurant dating culture where every milestone is celebrated with a heavy meal, screen-time bonding, and the promise of working out together until one quits the gym.
'Daily exercise together, eating a light dinner, and motivating each other instead of making fun of each other's weight, these are key things to do,' advises Dr. Jain.
THE SILENT WEIGHT PACT (AND HOW TO BREAK IT)
Once married, couples often slip into a shared zone of indulgence. The pressure to stay fit takes a backseat. But here's the flip side: just as couples fall into bad habits together, they can get healthier together too.
When one partner starts prioritising wellness -- getting regular check-ups, walking more, or ditching sugar -- the other often follows suit.
The healthiest couples? They treat fitness as part of their relationship, not outside of it. They cook together. Exercise together. Even weigh in together.
And when they fight? They talk it out, instead of eating it out.
"Because the best kind of growing old together is doing it in bodies that can actually keep up with your dreams," says Dr. Sharma.
Young, married, and seemingly thriving, but is it all good for the body?
As incomes rise, food apps multiply, and the late-night snacking gets fancier, young urban Indian couples are seeing a not-so-cute side effect: they're gaining weight together.
According to a recent Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study, more than one in four young married couples in India is either overweight or obese.
So, what's really going on? Is love making us lazy? Or are couples just eating their way into comfort?
WHEN FOOD IS JUST A SWIPE AWAY
'The availability of high-calorie dishes through food apps is making things worse,' says Dr. Pradeep Kumar Jain, Chairman, GI Oncology, Minimal Access & Bariatric Surgery at Fortis Shalimar Bagh.
Dr. Jain says he's seen a steady rise in obesity, diabetes, hypertension and fatty liver disease among young patients in the last few years. Most of them are urban, newly married, and eating well but moving very little. There's a steady rise in obesity, diabetes, hypertension and fatty liver disease among young patients in the last few years. ()
'Most of them are late sleepers who keep eating till late hours. Affluence and sedentary lifestyles where satisfying the senses matters more is a perfect recipe for obesity,' he tells IndiaToday.in.
THE PARTNER EFFECT: DOUBLE THE FUN, DOUBLE THE FAT?
'Couples influence each other heavily in all aspects of life,' explains Dr. Jain, 'including eating habits, partying, and exercise routines. So, if both partners enjoy the same kind of sedentary lifestyle, then weight gain becomes almost inevitable.'
He adds that young couples from wealthy families, with fewer responsibilities, often lean toward a 'fun-loving lifestyle' filled with late-night parties, eating out, and endless binge-watching.
Add to that India's rich food culture, carb-heavy diets, sweets, red meat, alcohol in certain states, and you've got yourself a weighty problem.
AFTER THE WEDDING COMES... LESS WALKING
There seems to be a significant drop in physical activity after marriage. Physical appearance becomes less of a priority. People start eating elaborate meals outside, work late hours, and get busy with future financial planning.
And then there's the impact on women. India's rich food culture, carb-heavy diets, sweets, red meat, alcohol in certain states lead to a weighty problem. (Photo: India Today)
'Infertility and PCOD are associated with obesity,' says Dr. Jain. 'So social and marital life can take a hit post-marriage. Men, on the other hand, become more career-focused and start ignoring physical health.'
EMOTIONAL WEIGHT: WHY LOVE MAKES US EAT MORE
Dr. Sandhya Sharma, Consultant Psychologist at Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, puts it simply: 'The comfort trap.'
'Once you find 'the one', the pressure to look perfect fades. You order dessert without guilt. Skip the gym because your partner loves you anyway,' she explains. 'It's beautiful but dangerous.'
According to Dr. Sharma, food becomes a couple's love language. Midnight biryani runs, ice cream after fights -- calories are now emotional currency.
Then there's the mirror effect: 'When your partner reaches for chips, you do too. When they skip their morning run, so do you.'
She also reveals an overlooked emotional trigger. 'Couple fights raise stress hormones that make you crave sugar and carbs. That post-argument ice cream? It's not just emotional, it's biological.'
The list of modern culprits is long: there's the restaurant dating culture where every milestone is celebrated with a heavy meal, screen-time bonding, and the promise of working out together until one quits the gym.
'Daily exercise together, eating a light dinner, and motivating each other instead of making fun of each other's weight, these are key things to do,' advises Dr. Jain.
THE SILENT WEIGHT PACT (AND HOW TO BREAK IT)
Once married, couples often slip into a shared zone of indulgence. The pressure to stay fit takes a backseat. But here's the flip side: just as couples fall into bad habits together, they can get healthier together too.
When one partner starts prioritising wellness -- getting regular check-ups, walking more, or ditching sugar -- the other often follows suit.
The healthiest couples? They treat fitness as part of their relationship, not outside of it. They cook together. Exercise together. Even weigh in together.
And when they fight? They talk it out, instead of eating it out.
"Because the best kind of growing old together is doing it in bodies that can actually keep up with your dreams," says Dr. Sharma. Join our WhatsApp Channel