How Weight Loss Drugs Can Affect Your Marriage: The Emotional and Relationship Changes No One Talks About

Sunday, February 2, 2025.

Losing weight—especially with the help of medications like Ozempic or Wegovy, or through bariatric surgery—can be a game-changer for health and self-confidence.

But what happens to your relationship when one partner undergoes such a major transformation?

While the health benefits are clear, the emotional and relational impacts can be more complicated than you’d expect.

Research shows that these changes can bring couples closer or create unexpected tension (Svensson et al., 2018).

The Emotional Shifts That Come with Weight Loss

Weight loss isn’t just about the numbers on the scale—it can shift your identity, self-esteem, and even your social life.

Studies suggest that dramatic weight loss can lead to higher confidence, more external attention, and even shifts in power dynamics within a marriage (Romo & Dailey, 2013).

While these changes can be exciting, they can also bring challenges if partners aren’t on the same page emotionally.

Why Weight Loss Can Lead to Relationship Struggles

Surprisingly, studies on bariatric surgery patients show that major weight loss can be linked to higher divorce rates (Svensson et al., 2018).

Why?

Because as one partner changes physically and emotionally, it can create a disconnect with the other. When new confidence leads to new social circles or shifting priorities, a spouse who feels left behind may struggle to adapt.

Jealousy, Insecurity, and Narcissistic Reactions

Weight loss often comes with more attention—sometimes from friends, co-workers, or even strangers.

While this can feel validating, it can also trigger insecurity or jealousy in a spouse, especially if they have narcissistic tendencies.

Research suggests that some people with narcissistic traits feel threatened when their partner changes, leading to controlling behavior or emotional withdrawal as a way to reassert their own importance (Miller et al., 2023). If communication isn’t strong, this can create distance between partners.

Intimacy and Body Image Changes

Losing weight can impact a couple’s intimacy, sometimes in unexpected ways.

While some people feel more attractive and confident, others might struggle with new insecurities, like loose skin or changes in body shape (Romo & Dailey, 2013).

If physical appearance played a big role in your relationship, these changes might take some adjustment. Add to that the fact that increased external attention can create insecurities, and it’s easy to see why some couples experience tension.

Lifestyle Differences and Growing Apart

Weight loss often comes with lifestyle changes—meal prepping, exercising, avoiding certain foods. If one partner is committed to a health-conscious lifestyle while the other prefers old habits, it can create a divide.

A study on couples’ health behaviors found that when one partner makes major lifestyle changes, the other may feel excluded or pressured to change, which can sometimes lead to resentment (Gorin et al., 2008).

In some cases, the non-dieting partner might even (consciously or unconsciously) sabotage their spouse’s progress, encouraging indulgences to keep things as they were before.

How to Keep Your Marriage Strong During Weight Loss

Change doesn’t have to drive a wedge between you and your partner. In fact, if you handle it right, it can bring you closer. Here’s how:

• Talk it Out: Have honest conversations about how you’re both feeling. Jealousy, insecurity, and changing self-perceptions can all be worked through if discussed openly.

• Be a Team: If possible, incorporate healthy habits together—even if it’s just small steps. Support from both sides makes a big difference.

• Consider Science-Based Couples Therapy: If tension starts to build, couples therapy can help you navigate the emotional shifts that come with major changes.

• Show Reassurance: Make it a point to express love, appreciation, and commitment. Feeling valued and secure can ease a lot of tension.

The Bottom Line

Weight loss is a deeply personal journey, but it doesn’t happen in isolation—it affects relationships, too.

Whether it brings you closer together or creates some bumps along the way depends on how well you communicate, adapt, and support each other.

Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.

References

Gorin, A. A., Wing, R. R., Fava, J. L., Jakicic, J. M., Jeffery, R., West, D. S., ... & Look AHEAD Home Environment Research Group. (2008). Weight loss treatment influences untreated spouses and the home environment: evidence of a ripple effect. International Journal of Obesity, 32(11), 1678-1684.

Healthline. (2020). 12 Signs You Might Have Narcissistic Victim Syndrome. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/narcissistic-victim-syndrome

Miller, J. D., Widiger, T. A., & Campbell, W. K. (2023). Aspects of narcissism, body image, and eating disorder symptoms. PLOS ONE, 18(1), e0280000. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280000

Romo, L. K., & Dailey, R. M. (2013). Weighty dynamics: Exploring couples' perceptions of post-weight-loss interactions. Health Communication, 28(4), 380-392.

Svensson, P. A., Anveden, Å., Romeo, S., Peltonen, M., Ahlin, S., Burza, M. A., ... & Sjöholm, K. (2018). Changes in marital status after bariatric surgery in the Swedish Obese Subjects study. JAMA Surgery, 153(7), 654-661.