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Taking a walk in the park could help those suffering from depression, researchers have found.

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• What’s to love about Valentine’s Day?

London - If Bridget Jones is to be believed, single women will be spending today sobbing into their pillows.

But in reality, it seems, it’s men who will be hit hardest by being alone on Valentine’s Day.

While unattached women are too busy enjoying their freedom to care about the absence of a companion on February 14, men feel lonely if there are no cards through the letterbox, according to a study.

And it’s bad news for bachelors as things won’t seem much brighter tomorrow - because the fairer sex are simply more likely to enjoy living the single life.

Far from the image of a Bridget Jones generation who are unhappy and unlucky in love, single women appreciate being able to spend their time and money however they wish, researchers claim.

While more than half of unattached women say they are happy as they are, only 39 percent of single men feel the same.

And less than a third of women say they actively dislike being alone, while 70 percent of men admit feeling this way.

The figures, compiled by analysts Mintel, also reveal how relationship expectations have shifted. Traditionally, women were looking for love and the security provided by a man who was the breadwinner. However, women’s success in the workplace has led to increasing financial independence.

At the same time, many men still believe women should take care of house and home - and so feel ill-equipped to do it themselves when they don’t have a partner.

Alexandra Richmond, senior consumer and lifestyles analyst at Mintel, said: “Singles are more likely than those in couples to feel that they don’t have to justify their expenditure. They buy themselves more treats and more than half have plenty of time to spend with their friends, compared to around one in three who are in a couple.

“These singles are also exploring new things, trying out new clubs, restaurants and activities. In many ways, they are living life to the full compared to their coupled friends.

“Of those who are single, it is women who are happiest. Many put their education and careers first, and as a result, women are more financially independent and self-sufficient than ever before.”

The researchers found that single men and women were more likely than those in couples to invest energy in their careers. Some 62 percent said freedom was the main advantage of being unattached.

The Bridget Jones films, based on the novels by Helen Fielding, focus on the romantic ups and downs of a perpetually single woman in her 30s. - Daily Mail

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