Americans are becoming more accepting of a larger body size, according to the NPD Group, a market research firm.

Roughly a quarter of Americans completely agree with the statement that “people who are not overweight look a lot more attractive.” But 20 years ago, more than half the population agreed with that statement, according to a survey of 2,000 households reported on in the New York Times.

But we still feel a compulsion to diet, said the survey. According to the same NPD survey, 61 percent of Americans say they would like to lose at least 20 pounds, a proportion that has risen from 54 percent in 1985. But the actual number of adults on a diet — 25 percent — is the same as it was in 1985.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com