Using data compiled by ONS in 1999 from almost 2000 people, economics post-graduate Matthew Bending from the University of Warwick in the UK found that 41.5 per cent of married women are trying to lose weight against just 29 per cent of single women.
The findings contrast with the theory that single people are likely to diet to optimise their chances in the marriage market. They could be important for food marketers trying to tap into Europe's booming diet foods sector, worth €93 billion in 2002 according to Datamonitor.
The Datamonitor research also found potential dieters are bombarded by a myriad of sources, with the most effective being the mass media. But the problem with this is that no clear message emerges, said the market research firm.
And targeting the right consumer is key to successful marketing.
Bending said his findings may indicate that some married women diet in preparation for a potential separation and the need to seek a new partner. He also argues that concern for their husbands' weight causes some women to diet so as to encourage him to do the same. Joint diets involving both spouses can be more successful as there is a mutual incentive for them. This means however that marketers of diet foods must target both sexes, making the job much more complex.
The new research also found that there has been a massive 34 per cent increase in the number of women dieting since 1980, and a 22 per cent rise in the number of men dieting.