Fewer new relationships, in women students
- Published in
- PLoS One 2020
- People studied
- 1,096
Among single first-year students, each extra BMI point went with 9% lower odds of starting a relationship within 4 months, a link seen only in women.
- Checked against
- PubMed 32214397
- Published in
- PLoS One 2020
- Last checked
- 30 October 2026
Key takeaway
1,096 first-year university students reported their weight, height and relationship status, and 550 were asked again 4 months later. Students with a higher BMI were less likely to be in a relationship. Among those who started single, each extra BMI point went with 9% lower odds of starting a relationship, and this link was seen only in women. BMI was not linked with relationships ending.
At a glance
- Type of study
- long-term study of first-year university students
- People studied
- 1,096
- How long
- 4 months
- Compared with
- students with a lower BMI
- Main result
- At one university, higher BMI went with fewer new relationships for women.
- Strength of evidence
- Long-term or observational studies
What this study does not show
An association over a short 4 months, in students at one university. Only half of the students were reached again.
Results from studies in groups of people, mostly in diet and movement programmes. They cannot be promised to any one person. This information is educational and does not replace a consultation with a doctor.
More on dating
- Leaner-looking faces rated more attractiveSmall or uncontrolled studies · Foo, Simmons and Rhodes, Sci Rep 2017
- Fewer new relationships, in women studentsLong-term or observational studies · van Woerden et al., PLoS One 2020
- Living with a partner linked with BMI, differently for women and menLong-term or observational studies · Howe et al., Int J Epidemiol 2020
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