Despite not being recommended for anyone in the long run, yo-yo diets are a quick and convenient solution in case of an “emergency,” when a few pounds have got to be lost fast. However, a new poll done in the UK shows that the effects of this type of diet do not have a negative impact on our body alone, as it also takes its toll on our budget, which can be seen from the number of unused clothing items we have in our wardrobe.

It’s already a known fact that only with extreme pain and lots of convincing can women part their way with an item that was once extremely hip or on which they spent a lot of money. As it turns out, women never throw away their clothes, not even when they lose or gain weight, the new poll reveals, since almost £2.8 billion worth of unused clothes was found in British gals’ closets.

Website TescoDiets was the one behind the poll and the conclusions it came to in the UK were nothing short of mind-blowing: an average woman, for instance, has no less than three dress sizes in her cupboard – and only one of the three actually fits and is worn. Clothes too tight or now too large are just “languishing” in women’s closets, amounting to almost £3 billion in the UK alone. Most of these clothes will never be worn again, the poll also revealed, despite being kept around for longer than they should have.

“We know that yo-yo dieting is bad for your health, but it would appear that it can also have a bad effect on your wallet. It might seem like you only have a few items, but when you start to think about the amount of clothes we have lying unworn because they don’t fit, it’s actually quite alarming.” says Catherine Matthews, head of nutrition at the site that undertook the poll.   

However, the situation is far from hopeless yet. As Mrs. Matthews urges, one way to get out of this is to start eating more healthily and stop yo-yo dieting. “Not only will this help you save money and beat the credit crunch, but you won’t have to worry about whether or not you can fit into your favorite pair of jeans.” Matthews urges women all over the world, as cited by the Daily Mail.