Changing habits to sizzle in summer

It's goodbye to black winter warmers and hello to vibrant colours and flesh-baring outfits, but how many of us are buckling under the pressure to lose weight? Men and women are constantly bombarded with images of the so-called perfect physique. There is a myriad of diet plans and promises of miracle pills to melt away the fat.

With so much conflicting information, shifting weight may be a daunting prospect, but for some it can be done. Jackie Knox from Ayr lost a staggering 11-and-a-half stone in two years.

The 35-year-old battled with her weight for much of her life and when she had children the pounds just piled on.

Jackie said she has followed every plan. "Atkins or detoxing - you name it - I've tried it. I found though, that I was left feeling unwell and lethargic," she said.

After reaching her goal, Jackie has maintained her weight for the past 12 months.

There is evidence to suggest programmes like Atkins (where carbohydrates are severely restricted) or detoxing (cutting out major food groups) do work - at least in the short term.

Fiona Smith is a public health nutritionist with Ayrshire and Arran health board.

She said: "These diets work by significantly reducing your calorie intake, but with Atkins, for example, we could be storing up problems for the future by removing carbohydrates. We need a balanced diet.

"In reality we should be eating pasta, rice and bread, particularly the whole grain versions, as well as potatoes.

"Also, fat is vital for the body. However, we should eat less of the saturated variety, like you find in sausages and burgers as well as butter and cream.

"We should change over to unsaturated fats, such as rapeseed or olive oil. Oily fish is also a great source of Omega 3, which may help the heart.

"And obviously five fruit and veg a day and plenty of water are essentials."

It is a fact that levels of obesity have steadily increased in Britain over the past 20 years.

By Amanda Mezzullo, BBC Scotland
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