I used to chide my married male friends that their bellies are getting bigger. Beer belly, some would say. Of course, it’s a joke, but they say jokes are half-meant. Then I got married and found myself at the other end of the stick. I now get the usual “reminder” about my tummy getting bigger by the year, er, month.
Pare, lumalaki tiyan natin, ah. It’s weird hearing this line, when, once upon a time, I was saying it to someone else. This is perhaps a light reminder of the Golden Rule, except that I really don’t mind receiving this “compliment”. I’d just say it’s a sign of prosperity, rub my belly and smile. At times, when I’m lucky, I could retort: Pareho lang naman tayo, pre. I can’t say this, for the life of me, when the one taking note of my growing belly happens to be my wife (though, in fairness, she would often add that she loves me just the same).
The usual piece of conversation is the fact that men tend to grow bigger, specially the belly part, upon getting married.
But wadayaknow. We, men, have it better.
A study have shown that married individuals, as compared to those who are merely dating, are twice as likely to become obese. For married women, there’s an incremental risk of obesity within a year, while the risk increases only between the first and second years for married men. Also, men who are living-in with their partners (unmarried) who no increased risk of obesity, while ladies have a 63% risk. (See 20 July 2009 issue of Time magazine).
Sweet.
I mean, we’re in this together.
