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People living alone are thinner and have a lower BMI, study finds

All by yourself? Well, a new study shows that your single status might help you look better in those skinny jeans.
/ Source: TODAY

All by yourself? Savor it. A new study shows that being single might help you look better in those skinny jeans.

Those who live without a romantic partner are more likely to have a lower body weight than people who live with a significant other, according to a study published in the "Journal of Family Affairs."

The study, led by sociologist Jay Teachman of Western Washington University, used 20 years of data to examine the relationship between body weight and marital status.

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"The results show that living with a partner, either being divorced or never married, is associated with lower body weight," Teachman wrote in the study's abstract.

The study tracked people's body mass index, a measurement calculated from weight and height that has been used to gauge the risks of health conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Single, happy woman on her couch
A new study says people who live by themselves are likely to be thinner than their pals who have shacked up.Shutterstock

Teachman found that, in addition to the general difference between single dwellers and those living with a partner, people experienced temporary weight loss after a divorce.

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This, Teachman suspected, is likely due to stress, as well as what he called an "appearance effect."

"Single people are thinner and more concerned about how they look because they are in the dating market," he wrote.

So while being single won't prevent those questions from relatives about when you're going to settle down, at least it will help you look great while you prepare a sassy response.