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Being unfaithful helps weight loss?

Having an affair may be one of the most effective ways to shed the pounds, a shocking new survey has found.

Just over half of men and 62 per cent of women said that they had shed pounds after embarking on an affair, the Daily Mail reported.

Philandering men lost an average of 6lbs whilst the women claim to have lost 10lbs on average.

Although the survey, which was carried out by dating website UndercoverLovers.com for married people seeking affairs, should clearly be taken with huge pinch of salt, experts said that there are several physiological reasons why being unfaithful might aid weight loss.

"Engaging in an affair puts an enormous amount of pressure on an individual. Telling lies, avoiding direct confrontations and sneaking around someone's back cause a lot of stress," Craig Jackson, Professor of Psychology at Birmingham City University.

He said that being stressed has a whole range of effects on your body.

"You produce adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol, your heart rate goes up, your breathe faster, your blood pressure rises and levels of serotonin are increased. All this can burn calories," he said.

There are also the behavioural changes that take place when you have an affair.

"When you're up to no good, you're more likely to be rushing from A to B, with less time to eat your lunch or have that extra pint. These things can also effect weight loss," he said.

Furthermore, there is a physical pressure.

Many men will want to be the alpha male, and looking good for their new lover is important.

Both physical and behavioural factors may lead to weight loss as the result of an affair.

"Also the chances are, if you've been married for 20 years, you're probably not having sex that often (and benefiting from the calorie burn that brings)," he added.

It's estimated that having sex can burn anything between 100-300 calories per 30 minute session.