London, November 28 : Many British women who shell out the dough for a new Christmas dress one size too small fail to get into them, says a study.

A quarter of 4,000 women confessed it gave them an incentive to drop the pounds before digging into festive treats.

Only half of those will reach their target weight, while the other half will either dump it at the back of the wardrobe or return it to the shop, according to research commissioned by nutrition company Herbalife.

“Often dieters set themselves unrealistic targets and this can have a negative impact, leaving them feeling as though they have failed,” the Daily Express quoted marketing director Gavin Aley as saying.

“Panic dieting in order to lose weight quickly for an event or special occasion can often be counter-productive in the long run. After a ‘crash’ diet like this, the bad eating habits inevitably creep back in and people often end up heavier than they were when they started.

“The key is to take a long-term view and change all the bad behaviours that led to putting weight back on rather than just suppressing them for a short while.

“If you lose weight gradually it will make it easier to keep the weight off,” Aley added. (ANI)