WOMENS obsession for having a thin body might be changed if advertisers showed bigger models, according to North-East academics.

A study by Durham University researchers found evidence to back calls for models in adverts to be representative of the actual female population.

Such a move could help girls and women to develop a healthier attitude to eating, the researchers say.

In the preliminary study, women who strongly preferred thin body shapes were significantly less keen on thin bodies after they had been shown pictures of plus size catalogue models. In the same way, showing slim models increased women's preference for thin bodies.

The research is published in the academic journal, PLOS ONE, and was led by Durham University with colleagues from Newcastle University and the VU University Amsterdam.

Lead author Dr Lynda Boothroyd, from Durham University's Department of Psychology, said: "There is evidence that being constantly surrounded through the media by celebrities and models who are very thin contributes to girls and women having an unhealthy attitude to their bodies."

"Our findings certainly indicate that showing more 'normal' models could potentially reduce women's obsession for thinness." Susan Ringwood, from the leading UK eating disorders charity, Beat, commented: "We see an average of 2,000 images a day in advertising alone, and most of these include bodies that are more slender than average. Increasing the diversity of body shapes and sizes portrayed in the media could rebalance our views about our own bodies in an emotionally healthy way."

Rachel Cowey, 25, from South Shields, who has battled with anorexia, said: "The doctors told me it was impossible to survive at the weight I was, yet the media constantly showed skinny celebrities who were apparently absolutely fine. That was hugely unhelpful for my mindset and recovery."