MUCH information on dieting has been disseminated to the public but this has only clouded the understanding of the real causes of fat accumulation and methods used to reduce weight.

'Fad' diets proliferate but these invariably concentrate on eating one particular food almost to the exclusion of everything else.

Success in dieting depends on having a clear grasp of what constitutes a healthy diet, how the body changes food into energy and what it does with surplus stores.

Dieters who have repeatedly failed to reduce weight or maintain weight at an acceptable level need to be informed of the elements of a successful diet.

This survey, carried out by The Gallup Organisation, reveals that despite all the celebrity diets with accompanying videos, many people find sticking to a diet a real struggle and are unaware of what they can do to make the weight loss easier. Inclusion of sugary low-fat snacks and drinks in a diet can increase the chances of successful weight loss.

The survey suggests that over a quarter of UK adults (27%) are currently on a diet.

A high proportion of respondents were serial dieters. Twenty-two per cent of dieters have tried to lose weight at least ten times in the past ten years

Ten per cent of dieters said they were 'constantly' on a diet. Extrapolating this to the UK population means that approximately 1.7 million people in the UK are dieting constantly.

Out of those responders who had tried to lose weight, over three-quarters (76%) had succeeded in losing more than half a stone. However, only 56 per cent maintained their weight loss for over a year.

Boredom (19%) and lack of willpower (16%) are strong factors in giving up on weight-loss plans.

Reasons for dieting vary according to age. The older you are, the more likely you are to lose weight for health reasons.

Fifty-nine per cent of those aged 45-plus gave health reasons as their motivation to lose weight.

Fifty-five per cent of men and 41 per cent of women diet for health reasons.

Only 33 per cent of younger respondents cited health as the main motivation. Other reasons for dieting included feeling better about oneself - 42 per cent said they were on a diet to achieve this

Similarly, 37 per cent cited looking better as their main motivator in dieting. More women than men gave looking and feeling better as their reason for losing weight.

Using exercise or diet as a main method of losing weight depended on age. The younger you are, the more likely you are to use exercise to reduce weight, rather than cutting calories.

Seventy-three per cent of under-25s opted for exercise to reduce weight.

Forty-seven per cent of those aged 25 plus used exercise as their main tool to lose weight.

For those who chose reducing food intake, 59 per cent of over-35s used eating less as a method to lose weight against 40 per cent of under-25s

Sixty-seven per cent of the 16-24-year-old age group reported having dieted only once or twice in the last ten years

The vast majority of respondents (72 per cent) had never been told that sweet, low-fat foods can help in dieting.