When times are really hard, it seems a woman prefers a man who is a bit of a softie. Contrary to popular belief, rugged, macho fellows just don\'t have the same appeal when a damsel is in distress. If they are facing financial problems, women tend to favour fine-featured feminine men over strong silent types, a study has found. It is thought that gentler men are seen as good providers and so a better bet for riding out the economic storm. The finding could help explain why the current crop of Hollywood heart-throbs is dominated by pretty-boy pin-ups such as Twilight star Robert Pattinson and High School Musical lead Zac Efron, rather than the rugged faces of yesteryear typified by Sean Connery and Kirk Douglas. In other words, wimps are the winners during a credit crunch.The researchers set out to see whether money troubles and health worries affect the type of man a woman finds attractive. From / Gulf News