Friendly flattery won't shed pounds

Having received the inevitable answer to the question "does my bum look big in this?" from a husband or partner, many of us will turn instead to our best friend for some sensible, down-to-earth and honest advice.

But think again. A new survey has revealed that our pals aren't always a help when it comes to losing weigh.The survey of 3,000 women for Tanita, in conjunction with National Obesity Week, found that while every woman has two friends that she thinks are overweight, she's unlikely to tell them the truth, as one in five is too afraid of causing upset.

Instead, we girls tend to opt for flattery in a bid to keep the peace.

A brave quarter had plucked up the courage to tell a pal that they should lose weight, but 12 per cent said their friend had been "devastated" by the news while a further 10 per cent had "burst into tears".

Sadly, one in 20 had ended a friendship after being told they were on the chubby side.

A spokesman for the company told the Daily Mail: "This shows girlfriends talk to each other about their bodies, weight issues and dress size on a daily basis. However, whilst girls are comfortable talking about their own weight and criticising themselves, in truth, most girls would not be able to cope with a friend telling them they needed to slim down."

But she added: "Although friendships should be based on trust, honesty and being truthful, we are also supposed to be kind to our friends, and this means being careful about crossing the line.

"There are ways and means of telling a friend they need to lose weight."

But as exercising and dieting together can boost your chances of losing weight, honesty just might be the best policy... so long as you choose your words carefully.