Toy boys- the new botox?

Having a younger man knocks four years off a woman's age. Fact? Well according to a study by Toy Boy dating agency, this could very well be the case.

Four in ten admitted that having a younger man made them feel more youthful - with more than half saying their partner's energy had rubbed off on them. Ahem.

Research carried out among 1000 women revealed those who have toy boys consider themselves younger at heart than women who date - or are married to - an older man.

A spokesman for the dating agency said: "Whether it means going out more, dressing differently or trying new things they wouldn't normally have done, it does seem having a younger man is the answer.”

Added to this, there's the influence of celebrities such as Demi Moore and Madonna who believe that age ain't nothing but a number as they proudly parade their younger spouses. This phenomenon has been called the 'cougar effect'.

The spokesman added: “We've seen membership increase by 102 per cent since new US TV show Cougar Town was first aired. That is the largest increase we've seen in the ten years since we launched and it shows women are no longer secretive about their preferences for a younger man."

The results emerged from a question in which female respondents aged between 18 and 65 were asked: "How much younger does he make you feel?"

The average was four years, but one in ten said their toyboy had 'knocked' ten years off them while it also emerged that the greater the age gap the happier a woman is likely to be. Four in ten admitted that having a younger man made them feel more youthful - with more than half saying their partner's energy had rubbed off on them. Right.

Three in ten enjoy more outdoor activities and the same number wear clothes which make them look and feel younger. A quarter have got into hobbies they otherwise wouldn't have contemplated attempting and 27 per cent venture to pubs and nightclubs more.

More than a third (36 per cent) said older men are more set in their ways, grumpy (27 per cent) and more serious (22 per cent). And one in five reckon they are more boring and out of shape. Toy boys on the other hand are more likely to make them laugh, fun to be with and have a relaxed attitude to life. But older men were deemed more chivalrous and trustworthy.

Women were also asked to rate their level of happiness in their relationship and it emerged the greater the age gap, the happier women were. Of those who were previously married or with an older man, one in six admitted to being on the look-out for someone younger.

Six in ten would encourage other women to find a toy boy and 46 per cent feel younger than friends of a similar age who have an older bloke in their lives. But three in ten don't completely trust their man not to run off with a girl his age. So after all that, it's back to the old, trustworthy grump...

Toy Boy dating agency are obviously keen to prove the point for commercial reasons. But come on ladies what do you think, are toy boys really the key to staying young?