Ladies, the stigma of being fat stays with you

Researchers in Britain have found that women look down on a girl who has won the battle of the bulge, perhaps because they are worried about the competition she now provides, the `Daily Mail` reported.

Men, however, are likely to be more interested in a woman if they hear she once had a weight problem, possibly because they think they are in with a chance of dating her, says the study.

For their study, the researchers at the University of Liverpool showed more than 200 people a picture of a slim young woman called Jane, accompanied by a short biography. In some cases, it said she had always been at a healthy weight. But in others, she was said to have previously weighed more.

After looking at the picture and reading the information, the subjects were asked what they thought of Jane. The women who were told Jane was fat in the past marked her down on self-discipline and personal hygiene.

The researchers said that the fierce competition between women in terms of weight and attractiveness means that they often look for reasons to dislike others.

Jason Halford, who led the study, said: "There certainly seems to be a taint and it seems to be within women.