Study shows women spend a decade of their life on diet

A study has revealed that a woman will go on two healthy eating plans every year, each one lasting an average of five weeks.

For many women struggling to keep slim, dieting can last a decade — researchers have found that is how long the average woman spends on a diet over the course of her life.

Their study has revealed that a woman will go on two healthy eating plans every year, each one lasting an average of five weeks — this adds up to 104 diets between the ages of 18 and 70, and a total of ten years watching what they eat.

And with each diet seeing an average of 6.3 pounds being shed, women can lose almost a stone each year, according to them.

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However, a quarter of all women lose nothing at all, and the fact that the average woman embarks on at least two diets every year suggests any weight they do lose does not stay off.

The study has also revealed that one in ten women spends 25 years or more on a diet, The Daily Telegraph reported on Monday.

According to Prof Glenn Wilson of King’s College, “This (study) highlights just how much women think about their weight during their lives and the pressure associated with keeping in shape.

“Women’s weight is bound to fluctuate due to life changing events such as having a baby, emotional factors associated with relationships and changes in their working environment.

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“Feeling healthy and in shape can make such a difference to overall well-being yet many people struggle to reach and sustain their ideal figure with 25 per cent who would even be willing to go under the knife to get rid of their extra pounds.”

The poll of 4,000 women by LIPObind, the manufacturer of a weight-loss supplement, has also found that almost three quarters of those polled think they need to lose a few pounds.

A third of all women started their first diet at the age of 16 or under but 44 per cent say that no matter what they do, they never seem to lose weight.

“There is no miracle pill or quick fix to weight loss. However, millions of people find taking a dietary weight management supplement gives them the extra boost they need to kick start and sustain a new healthy lifestyle programme,” a Spokesman for LIPObind was quoted as saying.