The latest research has revealed that women are literally talking themselves fat with eight in ten women saying they believed a positive attitude was the key to losing weight but over half using self critical words when starting a diet.

The research revealed over two thirds of women use the word ‘fat’ to describe an area of their body although six in ten say it makes them feel more negative about themselves than more positive words such as ‘curvy’.

It seems many women also start off with a mindset destined for failure with only a third of women actually starting a diet believing they will lose weight and three quarters having daily negative thoughts about their body. However, over two thirds of women said when they have successfully lost weight in the past they recalled having a positive attitude and ‘talked themselves up’.

Self help author and life coach Janet Thomson, who specialises in weight loss, said: ‘When women are looking to lose weight they want to change something about themselves and of course are more likely to use words such as “fat” for this reason. ‘However what they don’t realise is this sort of negativity can become a self-fulfilling prophecy so it is important to channel positive feelings about themselves and their goals when trying to lose weight as it gives them a much better chance of success.’

According to the research, four in ten said they also talked more negatively about their body when they were with friends with a quarter admitting these open ‘flaw exposing’ coffee shop conversations bring them down. However four in ten women said they felt more motivated if a friend had lost weight or had a more positive attitude to their body.

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