Recently we've been hit by a slew of fantastic - if slightly unbelievable - food news, including the launch of Mr Kipling cake dispensers and the health benefits of popcorn.

Perhaps the greatest of all these is the announcement this week that chocolate can help you slim down.

We'll repeat that for a moment just for those doubters at the back: chocolate really can make you thinner.

Researchers at the University of California have found that the majority of people who eat chocolate regularly have less body fat than those who do not. They studied the diet, calorie intake and body mass index of 1,000 people in the US.

Chocolate 'can make you slim'