Ananova:

Sophie Dahl's decision to adopt a new slimline figure could have resulted in fewer male fans, a new report claims.

The vast majority of men prefer a woman to be curvaceous rather than very thin, according to the Safeway poll.

Women appear to agree with men, with most believing the type of fuller figure Dahl used to sport was more of a turn-on for a man.

In the survey of 500 people, 87% of men said they liked a women to be curvaceous and the right weight for her height.

Just 8% preferred "very thin, bordering on underweight" women, while the remainder liked "voluptuous" females.

The response was almost identical among women, with 88% thinking curvaceous would prove more of a turn-on for men.

The majority of those polled had little faith in "fad" diets, with 91% describing them as a waste of time for most people.

The nation still appears obsessed with losing weight, however, with 58% of women and 45% of men saying they have been on a diet in the last 12 months.

Jan Walsh, author of the report, said: "The British attitude to what we should eat is changing. After decades of confusion, guilt and occasional starvation, the national approach to dieting has undergone a quiet but remarkable turn-around."

Story filed: 06:54 Monday 10th February 2003

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