The Weight of Relationships: Obesity Histories and Romantic Relationship Involvement Near the Third Decade of Life

• In Event: 349 - Section on Aging and the Life Course Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 04. Linked Lives

Abstract

Prior research suggests that obesity is associated with social exclusion and poorer quality romantic relationships. Few studies, however, have examined potential longitudinal associations of body weight (i.e., histories of obesity) and romantic relationship types (i.e., marriages, cohabitation relationships, dating). This study focuses on the association between obesity history between adolescence and early adulthood, partnership overall, and involvement in different types of romantic relationships in a representative sample of young adults. Following previous literature, we expected that ever experiencing obesity would relate to lower likelihoods of being involved in current romantic relationships. Findings, however, suggest that histories of obesity were not directly associated with romantic partnership overall or type of romantic relationship. Analyses focusing on differences by race/ethnicity on the relationship between obesity histories and partnering demonstrate different paths of romantic relationship type by obesity histories among some ethnic minority groups. Implications are discussed.

Authors

• Hilary M. Dotson, University of South Florida

• Elizabeth Vaquera, University of South Florida