SINGLE GALS' FAT CHANCE LOWER: STUDY
by Bill Hoffmann

Here's the skinny for women on one possible way to keep from getting fat: Stay single.

A new study by Texas Tech University says women who live in family situations, households with four or more people, are more likely to be obese than those who live on their own.

In a quiz of 300 women, researchers found 47.8 percent were considered to be clinically obese, meaning they had a body-mass index of over 30.

Of those who were obese, 64.8 percent lived with four or more people, while 32.5 percent lived alone.

"The reasons why large families increase the risk of obesity are not entirely clear," said professor James Rohrer, who led the study.

"One obvious mechanism is that larger households are more likely to have greater volumes of food available."