Shunning meals doesn’t mean results, and skipping breakfast has actually been linked to obesity.

Monika Siemicka, from the British Dietetic Association advises skipping meals is bad for two reasons.

Firstly, if you skip a meal, you’re hungrier at the next meal so more likely to make a worse choice. Secondly, skipping meals “plays havoc with your metabolism”. Eating three normal meals keeps it at a steady rate.

‘Low’ or ‘reduced’ fat foods are preferable

Low-fat labelled foods are often higher in sugar to make up for the lack of fat, therefore are counterproductive. Ms Siemicka told The Independent: “It’s a case of looking at food labels to see what’s in the ingredients.”

However, in terms of milk, semi-skimmed is preferable to full fat as semi-skimmed is not replaced with anything, it just removes more saturated fat.

Exercise alone or Diet alone 

The two work together, says Ms Siemicka: “If you’re trying to lose weight it’s better do two rather than just exercise or diet.”

However, that doesn’t mean one gym class allows for two glasses of wine and a slice of cake. This is where people often trip up, according to Ms Siemicka as people don’t realise it “takes quite a lot of exercise to burn off calories”.

Click here for the Rest of the Story: most common weight loss myths: