Are romantic partners a source of college students' weight concern?

Abstract

This study explored the importance of weight in college students' dating relationships and the expression of weight-related concerns between dating romantic partners. In a survey of 554 undergraduates, we found that overweight women were less likely to be dating than their peers, and that weight was positively correlated with relationship satisfaction in men, but negatively correlated with satisfaction in women. We also found that over 30% of students in exclusive relationships had either been told by their partner (or had told their partner) to gain or lose weight. While male partners were typically told to gain weight, female partners were as likely to be told to lose as gain weight. Women's weight-loss attempts and self-esteem were not related to being the targets of these comments, but women told to lose weight reported lower relationship satisfaction; men's self-esteem was not related to being the targets of these comments, but men told to gain weight reported lower relationship satisfaction. Although our results support prior research suggesting that weight is differentially important for men and women in romantic relationships, they challenge the hypothesis that individual romantic partners are a primary source of students' body dissatisfaction and weight concerns.