The happier a woman is in her relationship the more she loves her body, a new study found.

Researcher Sabina Vatter, of Tallinn University in Estonia, surveyed 256 women between the ages of 20 and 45, who were either married or living with their boyfriends. The women were asked to answer questions about their level of self-esteem, body image and weight. They were also asked if they were emotionally and sexually satisfied in their relationships, the Daily Mail reported.

The results showed that, whether or not they were married, women in fulfilling relationships were happy with their bodies. The same women also had higher self-esteem even if their weight was not considered "ideal," the Daily Mail reported.

"These findings suggest that our satisfaction with body size, shape and weight has more to do with how happy we are in important areas of our lives, like our romantic relationships, than it does with what the bathroom scales say," said Vatter, the Daily Mail reported.

"We also found that women who had previously been on a diet or [were] on diet during data collection were less satisfied with their body weight," said Vatter, according the New York Daily News.

Vatter, who conducted the study for her master's degree, presented her findings at the Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society's Division of Clinical Psychology.

The reason behind her findings, Vatter said, could be that women who are happily attached just pay less attention to their weight. Women in not so happy relationships most likely face pressure from their significant other to alter their looks, the Daily Mail reported.

A satisfying relationship can boost more than a woman's body image, said psychologist Jane McCartney, author of "Stop Overeating."

"You could probably compare 50 women living in rotten tower blocks and find those happiest in their relationships are also happiest with where they live. People's relationships have a big bearing on how they react generally," the Daily Mail reported.