SWEET-toothed Southampton women have been revealed as the country's chocoholics - and if anyone comments on their size, they are most likely to lie about their true weight.

While 76 per cent named chocolate as their downfall food, six out of ten women in the city say they have got muffin tops - where podgy bits of their body stick over their waistband.

The average statistics for women in the city are: bust 36C, waist 31in and hips 36in. A new survey published today shows the city's women in their true light. According to the experts, they are the best at calculating how many calories there are on a plate and have tried to diet 12 times - the UK average is just six.

The Female Body Survey of Great Britain, commissioned by Grazia magazine, revealed the average woman worries about the shape of her body every 15 minutes.

And it found that only a tiny two per cent of women in the UK are happy with their bodies. Sadly women in Southampton are the least satisfied in the country with how their face looks and eight out of ten women in the city think their life would improve greatly if they were their ideal weight.

Jane Bruton, editor of Grazia, says: "British women today are harshly critical of their body shape - in fact 98 per cent of British women hate their bodies. Many women are constantly thinking - shall I eat it, shall I not eat it, and, rightly or wrongly, if they step on the scales and find themselves 2lb heavier it can ruin their day.

"Having said that, we were really encouraged to find that the top British Female Body is Kelly Brook - a naturally curvy girl."

Despite being so unhappy about their looks, Southampton women are the least likely to go under the knife - the average is nine per cent and Southampton was three per cent.

Community dietician Jenny Davies said: "Women are very much conscious of their body shape because they are constantly being bombarded with images of what they should aspire to. I don't think this survey necessarily stands up to a great deal of scrutiny but you should never underestimate how much body image can affect the mental well-being of women."

She said the more in control and happy a woman feels, the more likely she is to lose weight. "The trouble is women want a quick fix and can fall into the trap of yo-yo dieting."