Here's why dieting only leads to guilt

Women dieters do not actually reduce the amount they eat - they simply end up feeling guilty about food instead, research has found.

Three studies of women found that those who were highly conscious of what they ate did not consume fewer calories than other women.

But women who dieted experienced a lot more guilt about eating.

These frequent dieters seem to rob themselves of the pleasure of enjoying food and set themselves up for failure, the studies involving 148 female undergraduates suggest.

"Despite their good intentions, restraint eaters seem to gain nothing and lose twice," wrote the researchers from Utrecht University, Holland, in the journal Psychology & Health. "The results show that restraint was not associated with food intake, but instead was associated with increased levels of guilt after eating."