A cluttered kitchen could cause you to put on weight, according to a new study. Environments that are cluttered and chaotic can result in stress, which in turn leaves you ready to reach for the unhealthy snacks.

Cornell Food and Brand Lab has released a new study, published in the journal 'Environment and Behaviour',  which shows that messy kitchens lead to people consuming more calories.

Women who were experiencing stress were asked to wait in a messy kitchen for another person. The kitchen had papers scattered on the table, a ringing phone, dishes in the sink and other general clutter.

It was found that these women ate twice as many of the cookies left out for them than women who were in the same kitchen when it was organised and quiet. In total, the women in the cluttered kitchens ate an extra 53 calories in ten minutes.

Lead author of the study, Dr Lenny Vartanian, now an associate professor of psychology at the University of South Wales in Australia, said: "Being in a chaotic environment and feeling out of control is bad for diets. It seems to lead people to think, 'Everything else is out of control, so why shouldn't I be?' I suspect the same would hold with males."

Out of a total of 98 women participating in the study, 50 per cent were told to wait in the cluttered kitchen, with the other half waiting in a clean and organised kitchen. Both kitchens were equipped with bowls of cookies, carrots and crackers.

Some participants were instructed to write about a time in their life when they felt out of control while waiting and others were asked to write about a time when they felt they were in control.

The first group entered the kitchen when they were feeling in control and ate around 100 fewer calories in total than those who were feeling out of control upon entering.

Co-author of the study, Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, said: "Although meditation, as a way of feeling in control, might be one way to resist kitchen snacking for some, it's probably easier just to keep our kitchens picked up and cleaned up."

This means that if you are trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle, the first step to help you on your way could be to clean your kitchen. Having a big clear out to get rid of clutter and ensure everything is organised can help your kitchen feel calmer.

This will also make it easier to keep your kitchen clean and clutter-free, even if you have a busy schedule, which could help you resist unhealthy snacks.

It is also important that you get into a good routine. You should cook earlier rather than later to allow you time to clean up afterwards, as leaving dishes sitting around overnight could increase your stress levels when you use your kitchen the next day.

On top of an organised kitchen, it will also pay to ensure you have fewer unhealthy snacks to hand. This will give you fewer options when you are feeling stressed so you're less likely to end up consuming more calories.