Dieting with pal more EFFECTIVE to shed kilos!

But 71 per cent of those questioned said they were more likely to lose weight and stick to a healthy eating programme for longer when joining with friends, rather than dieting alone.

The survey of 2,000 UK women who have dieted with friends also found that people lose more pounds by slimming with pals than on their own. When looking at a weight loss of over 10lbs, 15 per cent more people said they achieved this when dieting with friends, than when dieting by themselves.

Half of all women (50 per cent) polled also said that they didn't want to let their friend down, so were less likely to give in or cheat than when they're dieting on their own. Just under half (44 per cent) also said they found the support of weighing in together helpful in achieving their weight loss goal.