Consumers advised to avoid post-Christmas fad diets

Nutritionists are warning people seeking to shed the post-Christmas bulge to beware of fad diets being promoted by consumer brands.

One cereal company is heavily promoting a campaign that claims its product will help women "drop a jean size in two weeks".

However, experts say such cereals are often laced with sugar and are not a good route to losing weight.

Margot Brennan from the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute says the dieting industry flourishes on failure and it would be more beneficial to pay attention to good nutrition advice.