Failed relationship leads to better looks: Research

The research comes from a new survey of 1,000 people by the diet firm Forza supplements.

It found that 77 percent of people tended to be slimmer when they were single and two-thirds said that they had lost weight after a husband or boyfriend had ended a serious relationship.

Relationship experts believe the reason for this is women tend to plan the end of a long-term relationship for months beforehand - and therefore adjust far more quickly to life as a single if they sparked the break-up.

There also tends to be less emotional upheaval for women who have taken the decision to walk away from a lover. What doesn’t surprise is that three-quarters of women admitted they put on weight when they enter into a serious relationship. More than a third said they started to pile on the pounds three months after settling down with a new lover.

Lots of celebrities have revealed how they lost weight after big break-ups. Eva Longoria, 38, revealed how she lost more than a stone and suffered health problems after her split from basketball star Tony Parker.

"I was so skinny. I was not eating. I was depressed. I was sad. My diet was coffee. People kept saying, 'You look amazing, divorce agrees with you.' And I was like, 'I don't feel good. I have no energy. I didn't know I was depressed,” she said.

Forza Supplements managing director Lee Smith says that the “research shows that single life is the biggest weight cure of the lot. Being told, 'You're dumped' can be extremely painful, but for many people, particularly women, it is the spark they need to bring about real lifestyle change.”

"Most of our customers are women aged 18 to 35. They are either seeking help because they are happy with their partner but are piling on the pounds, or they are unattached and are keen to get in shape to re-enter the singles market,” said Smith.