Slim, man, slim, man ... hmmm decisions !!!

Being slim 'makes a woman happier than any man could'

By FIONA MACRAE
Last updated at 1:25 AM on 5th October 2010

A woman's weight has a greater effect on her spirits than her love life does

Forget finding the right man: what really makes a woman happy is being the right size.

According to a 24-year study, a woman’s weight has a greater effect on her spirits than her love life does.

And it seems that being obese leads to more misery and suffering than being single – while being thin provides more satisfaction than a relationship.

Experts say that the stigma surrounding being overweight has become so great that it can affect almost every aspect of life.

Dr Pam Spurr, a psychologist and author of How to be a Happy Human, said: ‘I have worked with many overweight women and their weight is always on their minds. 

'And not at the back of their minds but at the forefront, because we live in a society that is constantly evaluating shape, size and attractiveness.

‘People who are obese are stigmatised by people thinking they are stupid or lazy or just don’t care.’

In contrast, being single has become more socially acceptable.

Dr Spurr said: ‘Someone might say “She’s single but she’s lovely”. A single woman may be incredibly lonely but have much more hope.’

But those women who have found their dream man are likely to be happier if they focus on building a home with him rather than landing their dream job.

The study of the ups and downs of the lives of thousands of Germans between 1984 and 2008 found that a good home life is more important than a glittering career.

Being sociable and exercising also boosts life satisfaction, the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports.

But perhaps more surprisingly, not having enough work makes us all more miserable than being overworked.

The researchers, from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, said: ‘For both men and women, being underworked is much worse than being overworked, presumably because lost consumption rankles worse than lost leisure.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1317722/Being-slim-makes-woman-happier-man-could.html#ixzz11RgnR6MM