SHEDDING WEIGHT WITH WATER

Why drinking water to shed weight is a waste of time

Weighty issue: Drinking lots of water does not make you lose weight

Drinking water does not help keep you trim, research shows.

Dieters who down up to eight glasses a day in the hope of slimming could be wasting their time.

They could be better off eating foods rich in water, such as fruit, vegetables, rice, soups and casseroles, the research suggests.

In a study the weight and waist size of more than 1,000 young women was compared with the amount of water they consumed each day - both from drinks and food.

It found no link between water in drinks, including water itself, tea, coffee, soft drinks and fruit juices, and body shape.

But there was a link between water taken in from food, with women who ate the highest quantities of water-rich foods tending to have slightly smaller waists.

They also had a lower body mass index - meaning they were a better weight for their height, the journal Nutrition reports.

The link held firm even when other factors such as the amount of exercise done and whether the woman was dieting were taken into account.

The researchers, from the University of Tokyo, said it was unclear why water in food but not water in drinks should affect weight.

The result could be due to water-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables and rice also being high in fibre.