Do Self-Conscious Brides Choose Heavier Bridesmaids?

Hey brides-to-be, need an instant boost to your self-confidence before the big day? Forget Spanx, self-help mantras and an amazing dress -- a new study suggests that you may gravitate to heavier friends in your wedding party. Research done in the UK by Slim Fast shows that over 30 percent of brides would consider including an overweight bridesmaid in their entourage simply because it made her look slimmer.

And it's not just bridesmaids who have an impact on a bride's self-image -- 40 percent of brides fessed up to feeling insecure when faced with thinner guests than themselves. Slim Fast also determined that nearly 50 percent of brides-to-be diet before the big day. Let's also keep in mind that this research just reinforces the idea that brides, and their wedding party, need to slim down to get the most out of the day, a notion that Slim Fast can certainly go to the bank with.

Still, the results aren't a complete surprise -- a survey conducted last summer by That's Fit revealed that 50 percent of readers polled said an overweight friend made them feel better about their own weight, and 30 percent said overweight gal pals not only made them feel more attractive, but improved their own self esteem.

Overweight friends also come with another surprising benefit -- we're less likely to gorge on huge amounts of food when we're having a meal with them. All the same, it should go without saying that keeping overweight friends around for the sole purpose of making yourself feel better is downright mean.

Overall, the findings seem to point to one major issue: Weddings make brides feel self-conscious. Sure, it's only natural to feel a bit insecure when the spotlight is on you all day long, but when women spend hundreds -- even thousands -- on looking good for what's supposed to be the most beautiful day of their lives, it's a bit alarming for the focus to shift from the commitment of marriage to simply how they look.

"It's very sad and a real shame. Looking at these statistics, it seems to be a worrying new trend," Fiona Hunter, a spokesperson for Slim Fast, told the UK's Telegraph. "Women are obviously feeling such pressure to look good on their big day that they're resorting to selecting bridesmaids larger than themselves."

Ladies, if you're getting hitched, here's a suggestion: Take that negative energy you reserve for mentally berating yourself and use it for something productive -- like a bridal boot camp. You'll look and feel better once the big day rolls around, all without having to put some poor overweight soul through the trauma of being in your wedding party.

Even Fergie dieted for her big day -- here's how this pop star slimmed down in time to get married.