LIKE most people, I do not readily associate men with dieting. But they do it, and by all accounts they are very good at it.

According to a study - the results of which have been screened on the BBC's Diet Trials programme - men make better dieters than women and lose twice as much weight over the same period.

One of the facts that emerged is that men tend not to comfort eat. That has to be one of the most intriguing differences between the sexes, that in times of trouble, men do not head for the fridge or the cake tin to blot out their worries.

Not once have I witnessed my husband rifling through the cupboard for a stray Kit-Kat or packet of crisps, as I often do. Instead he will head for the loft and stomp around, while messing about with his Black & Decker Workmate.

For men, DIY is the equivalent of comfort eating. A couple of pieces of wood, a few nails and a hammer is the male equivalent of a Death by Chocolate gateau.

Men also don't snack as often as women.

My husband never goes to the fridge other than at meal times, whereas I'm constantly thinking about its contents, meandering towards it and opening the door to search for nibbles. His parents' message not to eat between meals must have hit home.

At work men don't appear to feel the need to permanently have an open packet of crisps, nuts or biscuits to hand. Women are just the opposite.

We may not eat that many throughout the day, but it's comforting to know that they're there. It's a bit like always having the kettle on. To women, if there's a brew in the making, all's well with the world.

Although I'm as guilty as the next woman of a weakness for chocolate and crisps, I'm not a conventional comfort eater. In fact, on an evening I like nothing better than a bowl of crunchy salad and, bizarrely, a stick of celery in a glass of beer.

This is a throwback from pregnancy - it was a craving that stuck.

I'm sure that comfort eating is the main reason why women are less successful dieters.

I know for a fact that if I cut out all the little scraps that I stuff in my mouth I'd be half the woman I am today.

But you have to ask yourself why we do it. Let's face it, other than the odd episode of Friends, there's not much else to offer comfort in this world, particularly not at the moment.

That's why we talk about food so much - that's another woman thing. Men don't get all emotional about whether or not to have an eclair, whereas for us it's a decision akin to having open heart surgery.

But all that aside, I think I've hit upon the real reason why men are more successful dieters. Their straightforward, logical way of thinking enables them to understand the various points systems and eating plans.

Whenever I've attempted to follow one I have found the instructions so taxing I have been forced to dash to the fridge for a comforting full-fat milkshake.

Updated: 10:42 Monday, March 31, 2003