Women with attractive husbands are more likely to develop an eating disorder, study claims

It turns out, having a hot partner can have disturbing side effects

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Women with attractive partners are more likely to suffer from poor self-esteem and develop eating disorders, according to a new study.

Published in Body Image journal earlier this month, the research found that in heterosexual relationships, women who are deemed less attractive than their partners are more likely to diet, while those who are better looking than their partners felt no need to eat healthily or lose weight.

Startlingly, it also revealed that men are very rarely motivated to do the same regardless of how attractive their wives are considered to be.

While the findings might sound like a load of sexist nonsense, the researchers from Florida State University insist that it is key to improving resources for women who suffer eating disorders.

To reach this conclusion, the team examined 113 newlywed couples who had been married less than four months and in their twenties by rating them on attractiveness and asking question’s about their motivations to eat healthily.

A full-body photograph was taken of every participant and rated on a scale of one to 10 with one focusing on facial attractiveness while the other looked at body attractiveness.

Each person also completed a lengthy questionnaire focusing in part on their desire to have a think body, including options like ““I feel extremely guilty after eating,” “I like my stomach to be empty,” and “I’m terrified of gaining weight.”

Andrea Meltzer, assistant professor of psychology at Florida State and study co-author, said in a press release, “The results reveal that having a physically attractive husband may have negative consequences for wives, especially if those wives are not particularly attractive.

“In order to better understand women's dieting motivations, the findings of this study highlight the value of adopting an approach that focuses on a couple's relationship.“