If the words "it was only a small portion" have escaped your mouth in the past week, you may be among those women who lie nearly 500 times a year about their eating and drinking habits, according to a new study.

The survey of 3000 women conducted by Timex in Britain has revealed that this is the excuse used more often than any other, reports the UK’s Daily Telegraph.

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The lie is closely followed by others such as "I'll have a big lunch so I won't eat much after this", and "I only treat myself once in a while".

If these sound familiar, you may not be surprised to learn that among the nine lies told weekly on average, women’s favourite fibs are most likely to be about chocolate, cheese, wine, cake, chips and bread.

The study released by the watch manufacturer also found other false claims of healthy eating habits include "never eating biscuits", "only drinking one glass of wine a day", and "always eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day".

"This study proves we live in a nation of denial where image takes a higher priority than honesty," said Dr Cassandra Maximenko, Chiropractic Physician and Timex Multisport Athlete.

"No one wants to be seen eating food they shouldn't, or even in larger quantities than is socially acceptable.

"Studies show that keeping a food diary can double weight loss, but it seems that rather than being honest about the food and drink which passes our lips, many women are lying about it, or completely denying it altogether."

Added to this, 28 percent of participants also admitted that lying about their food habits had previously sparked arguments with their partners.

Dr Mazimenko said that while women lying about their diet "might save them some embarrassment in front of their partner or friends in the short term, it's not going to help them reach their health and weight loss goals in the future."

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"By lying to their loved ones," she added, "women are also lying to themselves and could easily see their weight creep up."

Your say: Do you lie about your eating habits and if so what do you lie about?

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