Most men assume that shopping for clothes creates sort of a high for women, because they seem to like it so much. But research shows the opposite.

Trying on clothes brings most women low.

This is a story for every woman who has frowned at her image in a dressing-room mirror and wished for a better body. Most women have felt the same, and some have even been brought to tears, according to a poll for Fitness magazine.

The survey of 1,001 women finds that when they try on clothes, they're not only deciding whether to buy the outfit, but they're also critiquing their bodies and finding flaws.

Most (88%) say a trip to the clothing store has made them re-evaluate their bodies, and if they could magically change one part, 42% would target their waist; 23%, hips and thighs; 10%, rear; 10% chest; 4% arms.

So it's no wonder that 64% say shopping for clothes is bad for their self-confidence. And 10% have cried in the dressing room, (while 100% of their husbands are crying at the credit card bills.)

More findings:

• 39% have purchased something that was too small, hoping it would look good once they lost weight. (Don’t worry, I’ll wear this outfit next summer)
• 62% say they own a pair of jeans that no longer fit. (Miracles happen...keep them)
• 34% have a skinny outfit to wear only when they're at their ideal size; 51% have an outfit for when they are feeling flabby or bloated. (explains why women need large closets)
• 14% have refused help from sales personnel so they wouldn't have to reveal their size. (It’s OK…I’ll just break into the dressing room)
• 15% have accidentally ripped or gotten stuck in a garment that was too small. (Sir…now I actually DO need your help)
• 75.6% of women try on just one outfit in the morning at home, 16.7% average two outfits. Slightly less than 8% try more. (up to 47 outfits)

The good news is that 41% percent of these women started working out after a shopping trip. (which probably meant joining an expensive health club, or buying a treadmill from Sears)

Connect this with another study that shows that men become happier than women by midlife. According to the study, women start out as happy young adults but by midlife wind up the sadder sex.

Let's examine this more closely. When men shop, they usually go to places like “The Men’s Wearhouse” where they “Guaranteed you'll like the way the look”. That’s what men like… a good warranty. It makes them happy.

In these places, you’ll notice that the men rarely try anything on. They just go to the XL or XXL pile of shirts and pants…find the blue, red or white version of the "guaranteed" style…and buy it…all the while being confident that they "will like the way they look."

Maybe we could conclude from these studies that women should stop shopping so much and they would be happier. Although this might be true, it is the exact wrong thing to be considering in the economic situation the country is in. It would be a disaster for the economy if women stopped shopping. So I say to all women, it is your duty to the country to shop, so just buck up, and go shopping...just grin and bear it for the good ole USA.