Follow the holiday diet

We all know we should lose that spare tyre around the middle, but so often our diets seem to start next Monday! Yet the added risk of carrying just a bit of extra weight may make you think twice before tucking into that extra muffin.

‘Obesity is second only to smoking as the biggest preventable cause of cancer,’ Emma explains. ‘Fat tissue produces oestrogen, and having lots of oestrogen floating around is one of the most important factors in female hormone-driven cancers, such as womb, postmenopausal breast and colorectal.’

But losing as little as 10% of body weight significantly reduces the risk of a wide range of illnesses. And while you might think you need to overhaul your whole lifestyle to lose weight, it only takes a few simple shifts to shed the 1-2lb a week that GPS recommend as the healthiest way to slim down. When it comes to what you eat, there’s lots of advice pointing to a Mediterranean diet of lean meat, fish, olive oil and plenty of vegetables, nuts and seeds. Think of it as eating like you’re on holiday! If changing your diet completely feels too difficult, ease yourself into it. Start by keeping a food diary for a week. ‘Use it to spot when you eat treats,’ says Dr Crosbie. ‘You may snack on chocolate at 4pm every day, so substitute this for something healthier, like fruit or nuts. Often, overweight people skip breakfast, then eat high-calorie foods in the afternoon, so always have a healthy breakfast.’