Dieters told to ditch the feast-and-famine approach after research shows it doesn't work

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Those who starve themselves one day so they can indulge the next could be on the road to diet disaster.

Dieters who always eat similar amounts have the best chance of losing weight, research suggests.

A study of slimmers found those who took in identical calories day after day felt better about themselves and so were not tempted to comfort eat.

However, those whose intake fluctuated, bingeing one day and starving the next, were more dissatisfied with their looks.

As a result, they were more likely to seek solace in food, the British Psychological Society's annual conference in Dublin heard.

The researchers, who tracked the eating habits and emotions of 45 dieters for a week, said the finding had important implications for those struggling to get into shape.

"If a dieter can be consistent day to day in calories eaten then a more positive experience of body image will follow," said Dr Paul Lattimore of Liverpool John Moores University.

"However, it is also likely that if a positive experience of body image can be achieved then a dieter should gradually become more successful in maintaining weight loss."

Previous research has shown that dieters who make a note of what they've eaten each day lose three times as much weight as those who simply try to eat more healthily.

Exercise also plays a pivotal role in weight management, a U.S. science conference heard earlier this year.

A study of thousands of slimmers who had remained trim for several years showed the key lay in exercising 60 to 90 minutes a day.

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