Do brides choose fat bridesmaids to make themselves look good?

The latest research from the UK suggests the personality and friendship isn't everything when choosing bridesmaids.

British women admitted that they would choose an overweight friend as a bridesmaid Credit: With planning your wedding comes the decision of deciding who will stand beside you as your bridesmaids. Do you chose old friends or new, family or just your best friend? To add complexity to this weighty decision comes the latest research findings from the UK. "One in three engaged British women admitted that they would choose an overweight friend to be their bridesmaid in order to make them look comparatively slimmer," quotes the the survey results conducted by Slim.Fast. The findings continue: "Despite this, many brides still profess themselves unhappy with their appearance in their wedding pictures, with two in five saying they felt insecure alongside slimmer guests." Bride to Be talks to newlywed Lisa about choosing her bridesmaids. "When I chose my maids, my intention was to have friends that I could rely on. I wanted to make sure they'd tell me if I had lippie on my teeth or calm me down when I felt overwhelmed. Their actual weight had nothing to do with my decision." Says Lisa, who married on the 28th of November 2009. However, bride-to-be Sarah who is marrying on the 6th of December this year, says that this research from the Slim.Fast survey in the UK did ring true. "This is the biggest day of my life", she says. "When I chose my bridesmaids, I didn't want my size 8 skinny friends standing next to me when I'm a size 16. I would rather we look the same size, or me a bit smaller," adds Sarah. Fiona Hunter, nutritionist from UK Slim.Fast, said: "Women are obviously feeling such pressure to look good on their big day that they're resorting to selecting bridesmaids larger than themselves." In Australia, Bride to Be's 2008 Cost of Love survey also found that Aussie brides were focusing on their pre-wedding body prep, but in a healthier, holistic manner. Rather than resorting to crash diets or choosing 'fat bridesmaids', Bride to Be readers indicated they are investing heavily into their quest for a buff bridal body via exercise and healthy habits. Instead of dieting alone, 48% of engaged women now start a fitness regime. Of these, 61% start their own exercise, 43% join a gym, 22% hire a personal trainer and 11% start outdoor fitness bootcamp. For ways to  supersize your exercise, read our article with tips from The Biggest Loser's Michelle Bridges.  www.bridetobe.com.au