A Shipley company has launched a product which aims to stop us eating junk food.

The new diet patch, which helps reduce cravings for food like crisps and French fries, is the brainchild of Liz Paul, managing director of the Aromacology Patch Company, of Wharfe Street, Shipley.

The patches, which have been clinically proven to reduce the cravings for junk savoury foods, have been developed by the same firm which produces the Crave Control patch - the product which helps dieters cut out chocolate and sweet foods. Liz said: "The way we eat today has also dramatically increased the amount of salt we consume to dangerous levels.

"This is compounded by the fact that many people have a real craving for salty snacks.

"By wearing the patches for less than £1 a day you can significantly reduce the health risks of your diet by eliminating the urges for these potentially deadly snack foods."

In tests at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Blackpool's Victoria Hospital, Savoury Snacking patches were found to reduce snacking intake and desire by 82 per cent - helping to reduce weight by up to eight kilograms.

Liz said: "Our taste sensations, and cravings, are based almost entirely on smell.

"If you dull the smell, your cravings simply disappear. The patches work by releasing an aroma specially created to fool the brain into thinking it is sated by that smell, and therefore eliminate the craving for those foods.

"Just think about Christmas dinner. The cook, slaving away all day on the turkey, actually eats very little of the meal once it is finished.

"Their sense of smell has become completely saturated by cooking and consequently their appetite is largely lost.

"The patches work on the same premise and we are confident they will be able to significantly benefit the health of the nation."