Marriage can be tough on a waistline. According to AOL Health, newlyweds gain an average of six to eight pounds during the first two years after saying, "I do." We all know that it takes work to maintain our weight as we age. After settling into married life, you might just find that there are a new set of love handles getting in between you and your sweetie.

If your love has started packing on the pounds, you can be a supportive spouse and help turn things around, you just need to tread very carefully to avoid hurt feelings. AOL Health has several tips to get you started, including:

• Never use the word "fat" or suggest that they've "gained weight." Trust me, anyone who has gained weight is usually well aware of the situation.
• Focus on fighting the fat together. That means cleaning up your own diet and getting out to exercise with your partner.
• Don't be the food police. Support is one thing, but things can quickly turn negative if you put yourself in charge of your spouse's eating.

Getting fit is ultimately a personal choice, but with love and encouragement, your spouse can be back in fighting form in no time.

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Smart men know that the answer to the question "Does this make me look fat?" is never, ever "yes."

Still, let's say the healthy and fit person you're dating or married to suddenly starts to pack on the pounds. Is it ever acceptable to tell your loved ones they're getting fat?

I ask because of this clip from Tyra. Mr. I-Just-Want-You-To-Be-Healthy tries to convince his girl that he loves her for who she is, he just wants her to lose weight so she'll quit whining about it. But his true motives are revealed when he basically tells her if she doesn't lose weight, he'll be forced to cheat on her.

Niiiice.

Still, let's say you're a more conscientious valentine, the kind who really is just concerned about your lover's health. Is a heart-to-heart talk ever acceptable ... or even helpful? Or is it better to health up your own habits and hope that your love will join you in your efforts? What do you think?

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When I overhauled my diet a year ago, my husband hopped right on board and both applauded and adopted each healthy habit I introduced into our routine. He lost 40 pounds as a result. Clearly, he was supportive. I'm lucky. Not all spouses dig the diets their partners embrace.

A study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that when people change their eating habits, spouses and partners often experience skepticism, guilt over their own unhealthy habits, even anger. We're creatures of habit. When one person alters the routine, it can throw things off balance. SHAPE magazine offers these three tips for easing the transition.

Prepare your loved one for changes Share your plans a few days in advance and communicate your reasons for making adjustments.

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I'm friends with a lot of fit couples, and I've noticed that, while they all enjoy working out and have memberships to the same gym, they rarely follow the same fitness routines. They might jump on the elliptical together, or spot each other on weights occasionally, but more often than not, they do their own thing.

As long as they're both happy with their individual routines, generally, it works. However, what if your sweetie is far more dedicated than you are, or vice versa? For example, Spice Girl Geri Halliwell has recently been kicking butt in the fitness department, and she's looking fantastic. However, her dancer boyfriend, Ivan Velez, is reportedly getting fed up with the amount of time she spends working out, and isn't a fan of being roped into her early morning fitness routines.

It's not easy -- if he's naturally thin and you put on weight easily, you might feel compelled to hit the gym hard every day, and he might be perfectly happy going two or three times a week. If you really want to work out together, That's Fit posted some suggestions last year for involving your sweetie, but one thing I would suggest is that you be flexible and figure out whether it's more important to you to have a long, hard workout, or to work out with your partner. If you're willing to take a brisk, two-mile walk instead of a four-mile run, he or she might be more likely to join you. Or, if there's something your sweetie enjoys, give it a shot -- there are plenty of ways to burn calories, after all!

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When Fitsugar published these photos of Tori Spelling and hubby Dean McDermott working out together, I thought to myself, now, wouldn't that be nice to have your mate as your workout buddy? Then I thought about Jon and tried to imagine us working out together. For starters, Jon doesn't work out. He doesn't need to--he's a tradesman and unlike me he actually uses his muscles and burns calories at work. Also? We're both a bit competitive and it might ruin our relationship if we started getting athletic together. No, I'll stick to my present solo workout routine--If I want a workout buddy, I'll find a friend at a similar fitness level to me.

But even though it's not right for you, it might be the key to getting you--and your partner--in shape. There are plenty of exercises that are good for your body and your relationship. Want some ideas? Why not try ...

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Valentine's Day is the perfect time to tell you partner you love them. Did you know, however, that how you act the rest of the year can have an impact on your partner's health? For instance, Bev recently told us that a spouse's personality can have an effect on how well you recover from surgery. And Adams shared a study with us that found that fighting (or sharing your feelings, at least) in a marriage can prolong your life.

In that vein, Forbes recently put into pictures several ways to help your spouse live longer. Studies have found that when one spouse kicks a bad habit, like smoking or binging on Doritos every night in front of the TV, the other is more likely to follow suit. Another study found that when one spouse is healthy, the other is more likely to be in good health as well. Finally, when one spouse is obese, the other's chance of obesity goes up 37%.

Oh, and men? Researchers found a nearly instant decrease in the flight or fight response among women when they held their husband's hand. Such a simple gesture, really.

So go ahead and buy those roses, but if you think of your spouse's health the rest of the year, you just might have them around a little while longer.

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Now there's a headline liable to shake things up a bit! However, it is not as sensational as it appears to be. The University of Michigan followed nearly 200 couples over the course of 17 years and found out that when a spouse feels attacked, they're more likely to die earlier by keeping it bottled up inside.

This is opposed to expressing their anger and voicing the problem. Most people like to avoid conflict, so this comes as a very interesting study. The findings support getting into the fray when it's called for. Why? Because couples bottling it up are twice as likely to die earlier than their less timid counterparts.

Resolving conflict is always part of being in a relationship, so perhaps living longer is not just the only benefit to settling a dispute. Building up resentment due to keeping problems on the inside can make a person less healthy. After all, it chips away at medical vulnerabilities that are already present. Of course, couples shouldn't use this study as a reason to put on the boxing gloves!

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Ms. Fitzness, I stopped smoking five months ago and have put on about 1.5 stones (21 pounds)! When is the best time to try and diet? I don't want to try and do too many things at once. I exercise regularly as I have my own horse and am always out and about. Thanks in advance, Lisa

A. Hey Lisa. Congratulations on your success getting rid of smoking! Smoking is one of the absolute worst things one can do to themselves, and your decision to quit is one of the best. Hooray! I'm literally doing a little 'happy dance' here at my laptop for you.

Now for your question about when you should begin dieting. Easy answer. NEVER! Never diet, lady! Diets are temporary behavioral changes that only lead to temporary results. Screw that! You are in this for the long term, sister, and no diet can last forever. What to do then? Gradually become more and more deliberate about what you put in your mouth. Seek out low fat, low calorie, high nutrition type food. Before you decide on any meal or snack, ask your self which would be the healthiest choice. Trade french fries for a baked sweet potato. Choose grilled poultry or fish over hamburgers. Find some calorie free beverages you enjoy as well.

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Research out of Norway this week concluded that divorce risk increases when one of the partners suffers from testicular or cervical cancer. However, other types of cancer seemed to not have an effect on divorce rate.

Most forms of cancer saw the non-cancer partner support their spouse throughout the illness, but when it came to cancer of those specific areas, divorce started to rear its ugly face.

Why, you may ask? The Norwegian researchers stated that "Sexual problems or a weakening of the emotional rewards from the union are particularly devastating early in a relationship."

So, sexual problems related to cancer causes a higher divorce rate? That's kind of startling to hear -- marriage is a commitment, for better or worse -- right?

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Technology has added so much to our society, but it's also taken away a lot -- including our friends and our sex lives. According to new studies, Internet is taking away from many offline activities like socializing and sex, with as many as one in three people saying that they give up time with friends and spouses in order to spend it on the Internet.

What's more, people can't seem to live without the Internet. Only 7% said they could go a week without Internet access, and 48% of people say they feel as if something important is missing if they have to go without Email or the web.

While I don't think I sacrifice time with my friends and family for the Internet, I have serious trouble going without it for a few days. But then again, it's the sort of the basis of my career. How important is the Internet for you?

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Think cancer has only one sufferer? Not quite, and those who have been hit by the disease can easily attest to this. Spouses, family members and anyone else close to a cancer patient shares in the torment.

A new study concluded that the stress toll on both a cancer patient and his or her spouse reaches deeper than previously thought. The result: the spouse of a cancer patient suffers as well, and it goes well beyond the level of assistance that partner usually receives.

As with a healthy marriage, spouses should work "as a team" to battle cancer, regardless of which one has it. Sounds like god advice, as isn't teamwork a main tenet of marriage in the first place?

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There are lots of things that we partnered people do as a couple -- eat out, go shopping, go to movies. But would you ever consider dieting with your partner or spouse? Couples dieting is a trend these days, and a study from Yale University shows that those who tackle weightloss alongside their significant other can have better results than those who go at it alone. Of course, if you're single, that doesn't mean your doomed to fail -- finding a friend to take the journey with you works just as well.

I wouldn't do a couples diet, only because my significant other, Jon, is really quite lean (despite a horrendous calorie-laden diet, the jerk.) But I think dieting with a friend would work well for me. What do you think?

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There's a lot of controversy lately surrounding the idea that obesity might be a social disease -- that is, spending time with obese people can lead to obesity. All that considered, the news that obese people tend to have obese mates should not come as a surprise. This all fits in with a theory of assortative mating, based on the belief that people don't just choose mates randomly -- whether they mean to or not, people tend to select mates based on physical attributes like height, weight, religion, age and so on.

What do you think -- is choosing a mate who is the same size a conscious decision, is it something we're programed to do, or is this whole theory a bunch of you-know-what?

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Do you have a healthy marriage? That term can describe emotional states or physical ones, but on the physical side, it's been found that if one spouse changes, the other might too.

In other words, spouses with healthy partners may become healthier as well over time. Want to stop eating so much fat and want to walk every night to get exercise? Perhaps your husband or wife will follow you and both of you can get healthier at the same time.

The study mentioned here was quite interesting, and should make married couples think a bit. How are you when it comes to being healthy? Has your spouse joined you freely or with begging?

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Good news! A new study shows that when men tell their sweetie they will still love them even if they gain weight they are most likely telling the truth. That's not to say we thought they were lying this whole time, but there's always that doubt in the back of our minds wondering if they really really mean it, and apparently they do!

Three groups of men shown pictures of women of varying weights were asked to rate their appearance. One group was given positive traits about the women, one negative, and one no list of traits at all. The group given the positive list of traits was much more 'forgiving' and chose a greater range of body types as "attractive."

So somebody who genuinely likes you as a person really can overlook imperfect outward appearances. Yay! *Sigh of relief*

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