LOVE her or loathe her, one thing is for certain, when TV personality Gillian McKeith speaks, women sit up and take notice.

Especially when it involves something most of us tend to get a bit obsessed with at this time of year...improving our body shape.

Which is why females across the country have suddenly taken to covering themselves in mud in a bid to trim their booty (or other body parts) before they strip off on the beach this summer.

Her latest C4 programme, Supersize vs Superskinny involved over 100 women being guinea pigs to find the most effective inch loss treatment. Eight products, equipment and exercises were trialled with the overall winner being the body wrap.

The Universal Contour Wrap, which uses a detoxifying sea clay, triumphed over a hi-tech surfing stimulator, the Power Plate and a personal trainer. One woman trimmed a huge 5.5 inches off her posterior and another was ecstatic about her two-inch loss and how smooth her skin felt afterwards.

The wrap guarantees a loss of up to six inches in less than two hours and the company behind it claims you should keep the lost inches off for 30 days as long as you don't drastically change your diet in that time. As well as giving you inch loss, the minerals used detoxify the body, tighten loose tissue, reduce the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks, and leaves skin mositurised and glowing.

Not surprisingly beauty salons which offer the wrap say women are going crazy for it, and a home wrap kit, which is ideal for focusing on stubborn areas that need firming such as tummy, hips, thighs, upper arms or buttocks (it lasts between four and six treatments) has completely sold out.

Nycola Naylor who owns V.I.P beauty hair and nail salon in the Westgate Arcade, Halifax, is not surprised that the wrap came out tops or that women are rediscovering it. "I suppose you can say it's a muddy marvel because women get instant results which they love. It's not unusual for clients to go down a complete dress size over a course of three treatments. Anyone who wants to tone up their figure and improve their shape can benefit."

According to Nycola the wrap acts like a giant poultice. The elasticated cotton bandages which are soaked in the sea clay solution extract accumulated toxins from beneath your skin. The clay formula tightens the skin and revitalises your body's elastin.

"The way the bandages are wrapped help too, but the clay continues to work for 72 hours after the bandages have been removed and you can get additional inch loss over the following days as long as you drink plenty of water and follow some simple instructions," she said.

She claims women have a wrap for lots of different reasons. Some use it to kick start a diet, others to firm and tighten the skin after pregnancy or loss of weight, while others use it to prepare for holidays or a special occasion.

"We get women from size 10 upwards having one and loads of celebrities swear by them," said Nycola, who normally charges £45 for a wrap and £120 for a course of three. For the next two weeks however, anyone who books a wrap can take along a friend who will get one for half price. So two wraps cost £67.50.

Having tried one for a wedding at the weekend I can hand on heart say the results really are terrific because not only do your clothes feel looser but your skin glows and you feel a heap better about yourself.