Councils take action to fight obesity crisis

Almost a third of adults and a quarter of children in some parts of the region are now classed as clinically obese, costing the authorities hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

Stafford Borough Council has produced a cookbook called Healthy Eating on a Budget, which can be seen online, and has been working with nurseries to improve youngsters' diets.

In Sandwell, outdoor gym equipment has been installed in parks including Red House Park in Great Barr, while two corporals from the Royal Marines have been putting youngsters through their paces at a boot camp to tackle obesity at Perryfields High School in Oldbury.

Dudley Council has been offering exercise sessions for over-60s and has run a healthy gardens programme for people to grow fruit and vegetables.

Meanwhile, between 2009 and 2012, Wolverhampton City Council invested £1 million to install 10 youth gyms across the city, set up 21 free outdoor gyms in parks and open spaces, create a BMX track at Aldersley High School and purchase dance mats and equipment for fitness sessions at youth and community centres.

Sandwell Council spent around £250,000 last year tackling the problem. Obesity has risen among adults in the borough, with almost a third (28.6 per cent) now classed as obese compared with 27.6 per cent last year, although the figure has fallen slightly among children.

Councillor Paul Moore, Sandwell's cabinet member for health, said: "Tackling obesity requires a multi-faceted approach – in respect of prevention and treatment."?He said the council was working with other agencies to develop education programmes to tackle the problem.

Dudley's health councillor Zafar Islam said £4.5m awarded by the Government in 2009 had been invested in encouraging people to take on physical activity and healthier lifestyles.

Stafford Borough Council's environment and health councillor Frank Finlay said the health and wellbeing of the community was one of the council's top priorities.