Four out of ten women who diet end up heavier than when they started watching their waistline, a study revealed today.
The research also showed that a large percentage of women start noticing the pounds creeping back on just 21 days after reaching their ideal weight.
Yesterday, Dr Ian Campbell of the Jenny Craig weight management programme said: 'In the UK 61.4 per cent of adults are overweight or obese.
'Successful weight management requires a long-term commitment in order to lose weight successfully and for good.
'Dieting can be a real challenge so setting realistic goals and remaining focused on them is important.
'Otherwise as this research shows, women could end up heavier than when they started.'
The 'Food: Body: Mind' report was commissioned by Jenny Craig who quizzed 2000 women aged between 18 and 65 who diet regularly on their attitudes, beliefs and behaviours around weight loss.
Six in ten said they are currently on a diet and one in five women saying they are on a 'continuous diet'.
It found the most common triggers to start dieting was seeing their 'reflection in the mirror', preparing for a summer holiday or unflattering photos posted on social networking sites.
Other popular reasons include comments by friends or relatives or remarks from their other half.
However the study showed that one in ten fall off the wagon within one day, while almost a fifth manage to make it to a week or more. The average is ten days.
Many blamed pressure they put on themselves to lose weight too quickly for the weight gain, which leaves them with a bigger appetite than normal.
Others blamed colleagues, who tuck into fatty lunches and snacks unaware of the effect it has on the dieter, while mothers who polish off their children's leftovers was another common cause of weight gain.
今日发布的一项研究显示，十分之四的节食女性结果比她们刚减肥的时候还胖。
研究还显示很大一部分女性在达到她们的理想体重后发现只过了21天体重又开始反弹了。
昨日，珍妮•克雷格体重管理项目的伊恩•坎贝尔说：“在英国，61.4%的成年人超重或肥胖。”
“成功的体重管理需要长时间地投入才能成功减肥，持久减肥。”
“节食会是一个真正的挑战，所以设定能够实现的目标并坚持下去很重要。”
“如这一研究所显示的，如果不这么做，女性可能会比她们开始减肥时还要胖。”
该研究是由珍妮•克雷格公司委托开展的，该研究调查了年龄在18岁到65岁之间的经常节食的2000名女性，调查范围包括她们对减肥的态度、看法以及减肥行动。研究报告名为“食物：身体：精神”。
十分之六的人说她们现在正在节食，五分之一的女性说她们“反复地节食”。
研究发现女性开始节食最常见的起因是看到“镜子中的自己”，或为夏天的假期做准备，或是因为上传到社交网站上的的照片有损形象。
其他常见的原因包括亲朋好友的评论或是另一半说的话。
不过，研究显示十分之一的女性只过了一天就改回原来的饮食习惯，而近五分之一的女性坚持了一周以上。平均能坚持的节食时间是十天。
许多人把体重反弹归咎于她们为了快速减肥而给自己施加的压力，结果使她们比往常更能吃了。
其他人则归咎于那些海吃油腻午餐和点心的同事，他们没有意识到这对节食者造成的影响。另外妈妈们把吃孩子的剩饭菜也是导致体重反弹的一个常见原因。