Dads-to-be gain on average 6.35kg when their partner is pregnant, a poll for marketing company Onepoll has indicated. Mums-to-be have a pretty good excuse for piling on some pounds – namely, there’s a growing baby to house – but why do men appear to gain weight, too?

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The Onepoll survey showed that 41% of the men questioned said there were more snacks in the house, 20% were given larger meals and 25% ate more food to make their partner feel better about her weight increase.

One fifth of dads-to-be said they realised they’d gained weight when their clothes no longer fitted them, and 19% said their friends’ jokes about their growing waistline made it pretty clear. Only one in three men then joined their partner in attempts to lose weight post-pregnancy.

The favourite ‘male pregnancy’ foods included pizza, chocolate, crisps and beer.

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“Research shows that fathers’ health behaviour during pregnancy is really important, not just for themselves but because of the impact their behaviour has on the mother’s health behaviour – which can of course affect the baby’s health,” a Fatherhood Institute spokesman has said.

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