From French women's slimming tips to the benefits of eating a traditional Japanese diet, we've searched the globe to bring you the best weight loss tips and advice...
1. India: spice up low-fat beans and lentils
Many people follow a vegetarian diet in India (around 40% of the
population compared with 6% in the UK) and enjoy a diet based on rice, pulses, vegetables and bread. Even those who eat fish or meat will also eat lots of vegetable dishes.
The Indian diet is, of course, also known for being spicy and most dishes are flavoured with a mix of aromatic or hot spices. Spicy food has a number of benefits for those watching their weight. As well as being big on flavour and low on calories, chillies have been shown to raise the metabolic rate and help the body burn fat.
The other good news is that pulses, such as lentils and chickpeas, are naturally low in fat and high in protein, and so will help keep you feeling fuller for longer. Just avoid the clarified butter or ghee, and go easy on high-fat coconut-based dishes.
According to Ayurvedic tradition, the key to feeling satisfied is to eat food that mixes the six basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent - a culinary challenge perhaps, but one that's sure to make for a taste sensation!
2. France: eat a little of what you fancy
The French secret to staying slim is to enjoy a little of what you fancy. While their diet is high in fat - thanks to all that cream, butter, cheese and red meat - their portion sizes are small.
The French are also structured when it comes to eating: they stick to three meals a day, don't snack and make eating a sociable event. Lunch is the main meal of the day, and they take time to enjoy it.
This helps weight control in two ways: firstly, eating over a longer period of time gives your stomach time to register feelings of fullness and secondly, eating your main meal in the middle of the day gives you more active hours to burn off the calories.
The French also favour home-cooked food over processed ready meals (92% of French families eat together at least once a day), and while wine is a way of life, they only drink one or two glasses a day, usually with a meal.
3. Japan: start with soup
Japan has the lowest obesity rate in the world - less than 5% compared with 24.5% for Britain. The traditional Japanese diet is naturally healthy and is based on rice, vegetables, fresh fish and soya, with only small amounts of meat and sugar.
In Japan, people eat a wide variety of foods - as many as 30 different foods in a day - and have a saying that 'not dressing up the meal with colour is like going out without clothes'. Fill your plate with green, yellow and red vegetables and you'll have less room for more unhealthy options.
The Japanese start their meals with a bowl of light soup (such as miso or vegetable broth) which is filling yet low in calories. Research shows that people who eat a broth-based soup with their meal consume 100 fewer calories overall - the theory being that if you're already slightly full when your main meal arrives you're likely to eat less.
The Japanese also have a saying that you should leave the table when 80% full (known as hara hachi bu). When you overeat, your stomach stretches by about 20% - so it's a habit worth adopting if you want to control your appetite in the long run.
4. Greece: enjoy a natural Mediterranean diet
Renowned as one of the healthiest diets in the world, especially for our hearts, the Greek or Mediterranean diet can also benefit those wanting to lose weight and keep it off.
People in Greece typically eat lots of colourful vegetables (such as tomatoes, peppers and aubergines), along with olive oil, fruit, nuts, oily fish and whole grains - and consume only small amounts of red meat and alcohol.
Eating lots of vegetables, protein from fish, chicken or beans, and wholewheat carbs will help ensure you enjoy a low calorie diet that's big on flavour. Just watch how much olive oil you use - while it's a healthy unsaturated fat, olive oil is still high in calories.
Like the French, Greek people like to make a leisurely social event out of meal times, sharing good food with family and friends. So for the real Mediterranean diet experience, take time to relax and enjoy your food.
5. Iceland: don't skimp on fish
Around the world, the average person eats 35lbs of fish each year. If that sounds high, compare it with the average for Iceland, where each person consumes a whopping 200lbs annually.
Experts believe that eating a diet high in fish could help control weight in a number of ways. Fish is rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), essential fats that block fat formation, control the appetite and activate fat-burning genes in the liver.
Eat 6oz of fish (oily or otherwise) four times a week and you could double the effectiveness of any weight-loss plan, according to researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles, America.
Take a tip from the Dutch and try pickled herrings, which are traditionally served as snacks. Oily fish like herring is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce levels of cortisol - the stress hormone which is known to increase the amount of fat deposited around your middle.
6. Brazil: enjoy a side of rice and beans
The Brazilian secret to weight control lies in their favourite dish - rice and beans. The traditional dish, which is low in fat and high in protein and fibre, is believed to help stabilise blood sugar levels, and in turn control appetite levels.
A diet high in rice and beans lowers the risk of becoming overweight by around 14% when compared with typical western food, according to one study published in the journal Obesity Research.
And adding a cup of rice and beans could help you lose weight and lower your risk of future weight gain by as much as 23%, say researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To benefit, try adding a handful of rice and beans to home-cooked soups, salads, stews and stir fries.
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