There are lots of matters to discuss regarding divorce. People discuss separation, child custody, alimony, etc., but how often do you hear a conversation about how divorce might affect one’s diet?
The Wall Street Journal shares the outcome of a scientific, long-term study into men’s and women’s diets. Researchers looked at the diets of men and women who were married versus divorced, separated or widowed. What do you think they found out about people’s diets post-marriage?
According to the study, men and women reacted differently in terms of their diets after their marriages were over. The female subjects reported little change to their diets once they were again single. The men, however, reported eating fewer produce following divorce, separation or the loss of their spouse. Their diets included less variety and were overall less healthy than the female subjects’ eating habits.
You might wonder, “What does this have to do with family law?” Well, the researchers suggest that this trend among the subjects (men and women who were married between the 1920s and 1960s) shows some gender roles that might have played out through the marriages. The women likely shopped and prepared meals during their marriages because that was the traditional arrangement during those decades. Therefore, once the couples divorced, the men were left alone, less knowledgeable about how to manage a healthier diet.
A setup wherein one party is responsible to shop, cook and clean can become undesirable for that busy party. She or he might get tired of taking care of someone. Obviously, every couple and spouse is different. A so-called “traditional” division of labor within a household can be exactly what a wife and husband want from their marriage.
But more long-term marriages involving older individuals are ending in divorce. People are living longer, and unhappy wives and husbands might not have it in them to spend the rest of their lives worrying about the needs of another.
Whatever one’s reason is for wanting out of their marriage, they have the right to investigate their options. Discussing what the divorce process looks like with a family law attorney is just a step toward a possible change; it is not a final step one should be afraid of.