The better the appearance of her husband, the better the health of her wife.
Tania Reynolds, Ph.D. student at Florida State University, said, "Having a physically attractive husband has the negative consequence, especially if the wives are not attractive."
The researchers observed 113 newly-married couples. They were married in their late 20s and married for less than four months.
Research suggests that the more attractive a husband is, the more likely his wife will want to have an attractive body and cause a food disorder.
Wives who are less attractive than husbands have often tried dieting, but more attractive wives than husbands said they did not feel the need to do a diet.
The more handsome and charming the husband was, the more fearful his wife would not be able to meet expectations, causing anxiety and depression.
"These factors can affect the behavior of women to reduce their extreme weight," Reynolds said.
