A survey of women after a nutrition plan claimed to achieve weight loss without dieting has shown an 82% success rate, it was claimed yesterday.

The programme is also said to banish aches and pains, headaches, insomnia, and depression in the vast majority of cases.

A hundred women, picked in a random sample, were questioned about their progress by the Women's Nutritional Advisory Service, which has been promoting healthy nutrition for 14 years.

Over four months, 82% of the women said they no longer had a weight problem, the same proportion had overcome their depression, 91% were less plagued by headaches, 92% had fewer aches and pains, 88% suffered less insomnia, and 78% were free from fatigue.

In addition, 78% of women who had previously suffered from loss of libido experienced a significant improvement in their sex drive.

The Zest For Life Plan, devised by WNAS founder Maryon Stewart, appears in a book published last week.

It involves identifying foods that produce adverse reactions - such as severe pre-menstrual symptoms, headaches and depression - and have a negative effect on the metabolism.

The programme starts with a diet not designed expressly for slimming, but excluding a number of potentially harmful items.

These include wheat, oats, barley, rye, dairy products, caffeine, and foods that contain additives. Sugar and salt are kept to a minimum.

Over a period of months, some of these items are put back in the diet to see what effect they have. In this way the most healthy diet for the individual is achieved.

Ms Stewart said: ''You start with a fairly basic diet for the first two weeks and then add back certain groups of foods and keep charts.''

Weight control is said to be one of the most impressive outcomes.