NEWS RELEASE

British women will experience a staggering 45,990 pangs of calorie related guilt in their lifetime, according to new research.

A new study has revealed a staggering 87 percent of British women are consumed with guilt on a daily basis - about things they have eaten or drunk.

The survey of British females of all ages by Slim Wine revealed, despite 66 percent saying food and drink brings them the most pleasure in life, it also brings the most pain – with the average female feeling wracked with guilt twice a day about something they have consumed.

Over an adult lifetime, that’s 45,990 waves of calorie related guilt, with as many as a quarter (25 percent) experiencing feelings of self-loathing EVERY time they eat something.

And according to the research findings, feelings of guilt last up to THREE hours following a take-away or fast food, two hours for raiding the kid’s sweetie tin and up to one hour for finishing the kid’s meals.

Nearly one in twenty said an extra glass of wine on a Friday night left them wracked with guilt, while a quarter (26 percent) routinely beat themselves up after ordering a pudding in a restaurant, 29 percent feel bad for having a biscuit to accompany a cup of tea - and one in twenty even feel guilty about putting dressing on their salad.

A further 22 percent wished they didn’t long for wine after a hard day and eleven percent said they shouldn’t prioritise work drinks as much.

Eight in ten of the females who took part in the study said they wished they could stop punishing themselves and start enjoying life, while almost half of those in relationships (43 percent) felt it was unfair that their husband or partner never harboured any guilt when it comes to food and drink.

The poll of 2,000 women by Slim Wine found females harbour the most guilt when they have consumed fast-food (47 percent), however an extra glass of wine (18 percent) and finishing the kids’ leftovers (11 percent) also left women feeling bad about themselves.

One in ten said a glass of wine with lunch left them feeling guilty, while 26 percent said ordering a pudding in a restaurant made them feel bad, eight percent are consumed by guilt for tucking into canapes at a party and one in twenty say ordering popcorn in the cinema leaves them wracked with self-loathing.

Olivia Buckland who was involved in the campaign by Slim Wine comments, ‘I think the most important message behind this campaign is that you really don’t need to sweat the small stuff. Whether it’s drinking a glass of wine or eating a slice of pizza, it’s about enjoying the good things in life, in moderation of course, and not feeling guilty about it’.

According to the study, 73 percent claim they feel food and drink is a blessing and a curse in equal measure, while a quarter of women feel more guilt about eating and drinking than they do about letting their house get messy, 15 percent feel more guilt about food than snapping at their other half – and a further 14 percent said food makes them feel worse than telling a lie.

Well over half (59 percent) wished they could make smarter choices about what they chose to eat and drink.

Slim Wine Founder, Paul Gidley, comments, “The results of this research really highlight how much of a hard-time womengive themselves, often over the smallest thing like a slice of cake, or a second glass of wine.

As a wine lover I just felt there had to be a change, a glass of wine at the end of a hard day should not be inducing guilt. I have spent two years creating a product that has zero sugar and zero carbs yet doesn’t compromise on taste or ABV - so you can enjoy the wine, without the guilt”.

Six in ten women said the reason they feel guilty is because they should be trying to lose weight and 17 percent said air brushed pictures of celebrities left them feeling bad about the food they eat.

43 percent often feel remorseful after eating because they feel like they have no will power, while 13 percent feel bad about themselves because everyone on social media seems to lead such a clean lifestyle.

According to the research 32 percent feel as though calorie guilt is so ingrained in our society we are bound to feel bad about ourselves.

Of those polled, 73 percent said they wished they cared less about what drinks and snacks they ate, and 55 percent longed not to have such a love affair with chocolate.

A third saying they know they will feel bad before they eat or drink a calorie laden treat - but give in to their cravings and consume it anyway.

ENDS

Contact harriet@gingercomms.com for more details