Couples Who Share Chores Have More Sex

(NEWSER) - Raina Kelley is not happy with this "new spate of advice talking about how lying is bad for a relationship," she writes in Newsweek. "That is my line in the sand. Marriages cannot exist without dishonesty." Now, she doesn't mean the big stuff, like adultery. She's talking little fibs. "I don't want to sound like Erma Bombeck, but you cannot be completely honest with a person you spend so much time with." Some examples: More»

Adversity makes couples' bond stronger, experts say

(NEWSER) - Marital bliss? Toss it out the window, and get down to pain and anguish ASAP, experts say. While many studies find that stress can exacerbate a marriage—turning a short-tempered husband into an abusive one, for example—some experts say adversity is the key to marital success. "It’s protective, helping solidify their commitment into an unshakeable us-vs.-the world resolve,” Tiffany Sharples writes in Time. More»

(NEWSER) - As couples grow more committed to each other, their waistlines often grow as well, Time reports. During their first few years of matrimony, couples are twice as likely to become obese as their dating peers, according to a new study being published next month. If they merely move in with their boyfriends, women are 63% more likely than uncoupled peers to become obese; their partners' average risk doesn't increase, however. More»

Marriage has physical, emotional and financial benefits

(NEWSER) - If you're considering getting married—or divorced—it may be time to mull over Maclean's reasons why matrimony is healthy:

• Married people have less chance of dying from car accidents, cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, heart attacks, and homicide.
• Men who divorce or separate are six times more likely to be depressed than those who stick with it; women, 3.5 times more likely.
• Two words: combined income. Married people usually have more money when they retire, too.

Can a lemony 'libido patch' for women stir sensuality?

(NEWSER) - A new patch is being marketed to make women think "sexy time"—but does it really work? Scentuelle’s “libido patch” claims to “turn you on” and “enhance feelings of sexuality through our sense of smell." Linda Dahlstrom of MSNBC tried it, and was surprised by the power of its lemony scent. "I felt a sudden sensation," she writes. "Unfortunately, it was nausea." More»