For many women struggling to keep slim, dieting can seem to last a lifetime.
对于很多想保持苗条身材的女性来说，节食可能是件一辈子的事。
Or to be more precise, 31 years.
确切点说，是31年。
For researchers have found that is how long the average woman spends on a diet over the course of her life.
研究人员日前发现，普通女性一生花在节食上的时间长达31年。 A
ccording to a new report, British women spend an average of six months a year counting the calories and more than a fifth are on a permanent diet throughout their lifetime in a seemingly never-ending quest for the perfect figure.
一项最新报告显示，英国女性平均一年中有半年的时间在节食减肥，而超过五分之一的女性为了追求完美身材，节食几乎成了她们一生的“事业”。
But they aren't the only ones waging a constant fight against the flab.
然而，她们并不是这场“减肥持久战”的唯一“战士”。
The average adult male spends 28 years slimming, the poll has revealed.
调查显示，普通成年男性一生中花在减肥上的时间长达28年。
It found that over a tenth of the UK population is currently dieting in a bid to shed the pounds after feasting on festive treats over the Christmas period.
调查发现，在圣诞节“胡吃海喝”了一通后，十分之一以上的英国人现在正在节食。 But despite best intentions, three quarters of those who began their New Year with the firm resolution to lose weight give up by the end of the week.
虽然出发点很好，但其中四分之三的人坚持不了几天就放弃了，早忘了他们的新年“誓言”。 The average diet lasts 5.5 weeks, with the post-Christmas fast being even shorter at just three weeks.
普通节食一般持续五周半，而圣诞之后的节食时间更短，只有三周半。
Half of slimmers throw in the towel due to lack of willpower, while a quarter of respondents said that they give up because their strict diet regime leaves them moody or depressed.
有一半的节食者因缺乏毅力而半途而废，四分之一的受访者说他们之所以放弃是因为过于严格的饮食“规定”让他们情绪烦躁、心情低落。
The most determined of dieters are aged between 45 and 64, with almost a quarter spending up to a year slimming. In comparison, those aged between 18 and 24 are more likely to be yo-yo dieters, with a fifth giving up within a month.
调查显示，45岁至64岁之间的节食者意志最坚定，其中近四分之一的人坚持了一年。 相比之下，18至24岁之间的节食者最容易动摇，其中五分之一的人坚持不到一个月就放弃了。 The survey of 1,446 of men and women revealed that nearly two thirds of the UK population are unhappy with their body and feel that being thinner would make them happier.
这项共有1446名男女参加的调查显示，近三分之二的英国人对自己的身材不满意，他们希望自己能能更苗条一些。
For women, looks are more important, with over half reporting that they diet to wear fashionable clothes and a third of those surveyed said they watched their weight in a bid to feel more attractive.
对于女性来说，外表“重于一切”，超过一半的受访女性说她们减肥是为了能穿时髦的衣服，另有三分之一的受访女性说减肥是为了让自己更有魅力。
But in comparison, men are more focused on their long-term well-being, with over a third saying they wanted to lose weight to be more healthy.
相比之下，男性则更为注重长期健康，超过三分之一的受访男性说他们减肥为了使自己更加健康。
