The body I strap into a bikini every summer is the same body I button into a cardigan throughout autumn, the same body that sits hunched over a computer five days out of every seven, the same one that enjoys an elasticated waist. This is not the case for all women. This month, many are attempting to shrug off their bellies and slough through their dry skin to unearth their "bikini body".

The bikini body, to clarify, is like a normal body, but browner, thinner and smoother. It's a body worked on through spring to be exposed over summer, and it's a phrase that has crept stealthily into the vernacular over the past decade. This month Health & Fitness magazine offers a "bikini body" supplement, urging readers to set aside a month pre-holiday for the necessary ablutions, while Zest promises a flat stomach in six days.