Those who have received food hampers from friends or relatives containing fruit can consume them as part of a healthy diet which will ultimately help them lose weight.

Alison Wetton, founder and chief executive officer of All About Weight, said that there are several steps people can take to shed a few pounds, with good eating habits and a generally healthy lifestyle being two big factors.

She stated that it is essential that a person's diet contains foodstuffs that provide protein, essential fats, vitamins and minerals - with the last two found in fruit contained in food hampers.

"To lose weight safely you must make sure that your diet provides less energy than you need to maintain your current weight … To keep weight off you must adopt a healthy diet that you can maintain long term," Ms Wetton added.

Recent research conducted by The Co-operative Pharmacy found that one in ten people would starve themselves to shed a few pounds, while five per cent would consider a gastric band.