It's a big fat myth that being thinner makes you happier
By Ursula Hirschkorn
Last updated at 4:26 PM on 8th October 2010 * Add to My Stories

What woman doesn’t believe that losing a few pounds would somehow make her happier? That if her thighs were less wobbly and her jeans less tight she would become a new woman, that all her problems would melt away with the fat?
We all believe that being slim is the path to happiness because everything we see and read tells us so, from the slender models that grace the pages of fashion magazines to the teeny tiny celebrities in movies and on TV.

Is being slim the path to happiness? Ursula Hirschkorn says women who believe this are chasing a false lie
Never mind that half of these women are forever in the throes of painful divorces, wedded to serial cheaters or longing to find the perfect man with whom to settle down and have babies. They are thin, therefore they must be happy. Right?
The 24-year study of thousands of people found that obesity leads to more misery and suffering than being single, while being thin provides more satisfaction than a relationship.
Psychologist Dr Pam Spurr commented on the report, confirming that in her experience a woman's weight has more impact on her happiness than her love life.
I grew up believing this myth, and it’s only now, as an overweight and happily married mother-of-four, that I can say with any conviction what a false lie these women are chasing.
'Happiness does not come in the form of a pair of size-6 jeans. I know, I’ve worn them — and grown out of them'
Happiness does not come in the form of a pair of size-6 jeans. I know, I’ve worn them — and grown out of them.
I was a slim child, sporty and horse-mad. It was only when I started studying for my A-levels, grazing on biscuits throughout my revision, that the weight began to creep on.
University compounded the problem further. Pints of cider and late-night trips to the chip shop saw my weight creep up past the