Being slim seems to make a woman happier than any man could, for a new study has found that a female’s weight has a greater effect on her spirits than her love life does. And, according to researchers, being obese leads to more misery and suffering than being single — while being thin provides more satisfaction than a relationship.
The 24-year 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, the Daily Mail reported. Being sociable and exercising also boosts life satisfaction, says
the study. But perhaps more surprisingly, not having enough work makes us all more miserable than being overworked.
The researchers at 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.”
Experts say that the findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, on the effects of 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.