Women prefer Thin Janes

LONDON - The fashion industry has found a new ally in the battle over its use of skinny models - women themselves.

University of Bath researchers said women shown advertisements featuring models of different sizes preferred those with the slimmest figures.

The finding comes after leading designers spoke out against the use of "super-skinny" girls on the catwalk. Top British designer Paul Smith predicted there would be a move towards the ampler figure after the row triggered by Madrid City Council's decision to impose a ban on models with a body mass index of less than 18 at the city's fashion week.

But the Bath study of 470 female undergraduates found slenderness was associated in women's minds with the control of body weight - to which many aspired.

Two-thirds reacted favourably to advertisements featuring slimmer models whom they described as "more elegant, interesting, likeable and pleasant".

Less than a third preferred advertisements with larger models. Professor Brett Martin, of the university's School of Management, said thinner models were seen as being successful at managing their weight.

He said: "Women who believe weight can be controlled by taking exercise and dieting think a thin model has succeeded in controlling her weight and is someone they can relate to.

"They also believe the model to be more likeable and pleasant too - an idealised version of themselves in fact."

Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said she "applauded" the decision by Madrid to ban "super-skinny" models, urging London Fashion Week organisers to do the same.

But Professor Martin said the idea women would respond better to models of "average" build was wrong.

"Women who don't feel weight is under the control of individuals - and this view was associated with larger women - feel the model has just got lucky genetics and are less inclined to see the model as possessing more attractive psychological qualities, though they don't favour larger models either," he said.

"The recent idea among some commentators that women will respond to models who are average size is generally not right."

The results suggested that as the women preferred the slimmer models, they were more likely to approve of the products in the test adverts - up-market salads and gourmet hamburgers.

"This study shows us why using thin models is a successful strategy used by advertising companies," Professor Martin said.

Steve Bloomfield, of the Eating Disorders Association which last week called for a new law under Health and Safety legislation banning the use of underweight models, said the findings were not a surprise as women were conditioned to see thinner women as the most attractive.

- INDEPENDENT