Each was asked to suppress or express thoughts about eating chocolate for five minutes before choosing what type of chocolate they preferred – Galaxy Minstrels or Cadbury's Shots.

But instead of being judged on what chocolate they liked, the amount they ate was closely monitored.

The study found that the women who tried to suppress their craving ate eight chocolates on average, while those thinking about snacking ate five.

It also revealed that men were less prone to the rebound effect, and ate more only when told to express their feelings about chocolate.

Dr Erskine said: "It seems to be most prevalent when people are trying to suppress something they see as problematic.

"It could just be that women see eating chocolate as more of a problem than men.

"We now need to find ways to help women change their behaviour rather than just telling them not to eat things."

Dieticians say the research supports other studies that show eating sensibly – rather than trying to cut out "sinful" foods – is best for maintaining a healthy weight.

Emma Hetherington, head of programme development at Weight Watchers UK said: "We know that if you psychologically set yourself an unrealistic goal such as 'I'll never eat chocolate again' or 'I'll never have a glass of wine', automatically that is all you will think about.

"It then becomes more likely that you give in to these cravings.

"We advocate getting plenty of variety in your daily diet – that means eating all the food groups – and this keeps you interested, focused and therefore maintains your weight loss."