This study investigates the impact of marriage on the body mass index (BMI) of individuals aged 18-45 in China. We used data from ten rounds of the China Health and Nutrition Survey spanning from 1989 to 2015, and applied Difference-in-Differences (DID) model to examine the impact of marriage on BMI. Our findings reveal that marriage has a significant positive effect on BMI, especially among males, with post-marriage elevation of male BMI continuing to increase over time. Moreover, marriage is associated with a 5.2% increase in the prevalence of overweight and a 2.5% rise in the incidence of obesity among males. While energy intake levels for Chinese women did not undergo significant changes after marriage, nor did their energy expenditure levels, men experienced a marked alteration in energy balance, characterized by an increase in caloric intake and a decrease in physical activity. Furthermore, our study confirms significant period differences in the effect of marriage on BMI, with post-marriage elevation of male BMI continuing to rise over time. In contrast, there was no clear trend for female BMI after marriage. Our research highlights the importance of promoting physical fitness and health management within families while fostering intimate relationships through marriage. Public health policies should consider the potential impact of marriage as an intervention window for addressing individuals' weight management needs. Distinct post-marriage body management plans should be designed for both genders.

A healthy diet contributes to the prevention of various forms of malnutrition and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Unhealthy dietary practices and insufficient physical activity represent the greatest global health risks [1]. A refined study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) involving 156 countries […]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to measure the dietary diversity and to analyze the regional characteristics, differences, and evolutionary trends of dietary diversity among Chinese residents.Methods: In this paper, the dietary diversity among Chinese residents was measured using the Shannon index based on the provincial-level food consumption data from 1995 to 2021. On this basis, the paper employs analysis methods such as kernel density estimation, spatial correlation test, and Dagum’s Gini coefficient to analyze the regional characteristics, differences, and trends of change in dietary diversity.Results: During the study period, the dietary diversity among Chinese residents showed an increasing trend. Among the four major geographic regions, the dietary diversity was highest in the southern region, followed by the northern region, northwest region, and Qinghai-Tibet region. Among the three major economic regions, the dietary diversity was highest in the eastern region, followed by the central region and western region. There was a significant positive spatial correlation in the dietary diversity among Chinese residents, and both high-high agglomeration and low-low agglomeration phenomena were strengthened. In terms of the trend of regional differences, whether overall differences, interregional differences, or intraregional differences, they all showed a shrinking trend. However, interregional differences were the main source of overall differences in dietary diversity among Chinese residents.Conclusion: The dietary diversity among Chinese residents shows an overall increasing trend, and there are regional differences in dietary diversity from the perspectives of economic and geographic regions, which have been narrowing over time.