ANNIE: Off for a couple of days to the sun next week, I thought it was perfect timing to see whether it is true that you can lose a dress size without any effort at all. The Elite Universal Body Wrap works by breaking down your fatty tissue and eliminating toxins. There are six bands wrapped round your tummy and legs (which are later attached to electrodes) and you are then swaddled neck to toe in cloths soaked in algae. You then lie in a plastic 'duvet' for an hour. There is a gentle pulsing but it is not at all unpleasant. I was measured all over before and then after and discovered I had lost eight inches, not all in one place I hasten to add, but a little bit here and a bit there. My muffin top doesn't seem quite so bad and my jeans do feel looser and skin more toned. It is Day Two today and you can lose the inches up to three days after treatment if you follow a strict diet of no caffeine, dairy or alcohol. So far so good. Results usually last up to 30 days.

Universal Body Wrap from £90 www.universalcontourwrap.com for nearest salon