Being in a happy, high-quality marriage may help prevent obesity by influencing the connection between the brain and the gut. A world-first study on how social bonds influence weight and eating behaviors through "the love hormone" oxytocin has suggested that the quality of a person's relationships may be as important to physical health as eating well and exercising. Researchers studied almost 100 people with a range of marital statuses, body mass index, race, age, sex, diets and economic