SADDLEBAGS”, “mushroom top”, call it what you will, but fat has long been a female issue – until now.

Today, these terms are being joined by “beer belly” and “man boobs” or “moobs”, as more and more men reflect on their image and dislike what they see.

The idea of the body beautiful – a feminine ambition for so long – has leapt the gender divide.

A national survey by the University of West England shows four men in five regularly talk about one another’s bodies – more frequently their stomachs – and most are unhappy with their muscle tone.

The study, a collaboration with the Succeed Foundation and Central YMCA, revealed that 35 per cent of men would sacrifice a year in return for their ideal weight or shape.

Nearly 59 per cent said that body talk affected them negatively, reducing their self-esteem, making them more self-conscious and preventing them going to the gym.

About one in six felt they were fat everyday, while 4.1 per cent have even made themselves sick to try to control their weight.

Karine Berthou, founder of the Succeed Foundation, an eating disorders charity, said: “Negative body image is a serious issue in our society and is a key risk factor in the development of eating disorders. 17 per cent of men had a definite fear that they might gain weight every day, and 31.9 per cent of men reported they had ‘exercised in a driven or compulsive way’ as a means of controlling weight.

“This sort of disordered eating and exercise behaviour is deeply concerning and highlights that men must be included in eating disorder and body image programmes.”

The theory men are becoming more concerned about their weight and general image is borne out at Slimming World.

Essex consultant Tracey Hooper has noted a marked increase in the number of men joining classes.

She said: “I have been a consultant for five years, and when I started, men were very much in the minority in the groups we ran.

“It was often a case of them being dragged there, kicking and screaming, by their other halves.

“But over the past couple of years, we have seen an increase in men joining.”

Mrs Hooper, who is team leader for 15 Slimming World groups and runs three, said men now accounted for 15 per cent of members, up from just 1 per cent a few years ago.

She believes there is a whole range of reasons behind the increase.

She added: “The media has helped. There is much more now about the image of the body beautiful.

“Their partners have been successful in losing weight, or someone in the office has done it.

“The reasons are very individual. Some are on medical grounds, with their doctor saying they should lose weight. With others, it could be a personal experience, like being moved on a plane.

“But they get the biggest buzz from going to the group and seeing phenomenal weight loss.”