Women on dieting cycles seldom lose weight

A survey of more than 2,300 people revealed that more than one in five women have been on at least five diets and regained weight and many have been on at least 20 diets without keeping the pounds off.

The survey, conducted by Slimming World and YouGov, reveals that 21 percent of women have yo-yo dieted at least five times, 11 percent have done it at least 10 times and six percent have dieted and put the weight back on again more than 20 times.

Yo-Yo dieting refers to repeated cycles of weight loss and weight gain which cause feelings of failure and a loss of confidence in your own ability to make changes.

Slimming World is using the theme 'Stop yo-yo' to raise awareness about "the dangerous cycle of repeated loss and regain of body weight and its dramatic effects on mental and physical health."

Jacquie Lavin, Slimming World's head of nutrition and research, says: "Yo-yo diets can be both unhealthy for the body and psychologically upsetting.

"In recent years, the UK has seen a huge rise in the number of faddy diets promising rapid weight loss through things like cutting out food groups, following unbalanced eating plans and only consuming liquid foods."

"The good news is it's never too late to break the yo-yo cycle and losing weight and keeping it off can be easier than you think.

"Latest research suggests a diet of satiating low-energy dense foods like fruit and vegetables, pasta, potatoes, rice, fish and lean meat is more effective for long-lasting weight loss," said Lavin, according to a Slimming World statement.

"These foods fill you up and are naturally low in calories. Avoiding feelings of deprivation by enjoying the odd glass of wine or chocolate treat without feeling guilty is also important to long term success," she said.