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Every summer, thousands and thousands of couples tie the knot.
That decision has lasting effects on their health over time.
Researchers have identified a variety of trends that show how getting married changes people. There has historically been an idea that marriage is good for your physical and mental health, perhaps due to the idea that having a supportive partner can make a person healthier. But more recent research has revealed that the relationship between marriage, health, and well-being is more complicated, with both benefits and drawbacks.
Evidence suggests that married men and women have a lower risk for certain types of heart disease than their single counterparts, for example, but married people are also more likely to be overweight.
Of course, these observed trends don't hold true for everyone. Every marriage is different, depending on the individuals involved, their relationship, their plans, lifestyles, and more - without even counting external factors. And there's much less research on the effects of marriage on same-sex couples so far.
But with that in mind, here are some of the ways that marriage tends to affect partners physically and mentally.