Middlesbrough Council’s sport and leisure department has launched a weight management programme in conjunction with the NHS’ Department of Clinical Nutrition to help battle the area’s obesity problem.

Running at the council’s four X4 Health and Fitness clubs, the Balance programme is an eight-week course delivered by health and fitness instructors, trained by clinical dieticians and weight management professionals.

Funded by the Health Action Zone, the programme focuses on eating for health, with weight loss as a secondary benefit. Clients are offered practical advice on reading food labels, eating out and cooking tips. Fitness is also a key feature and clients are given free inductions to the X4 clubs and vouchers for beginners fitness classes.

Catering for people from some of the most deprived wards in the country, Balance is cheaper than its commercial competitors, but is self-funding, says Middlesbrough Council’s health and fitness manager, Kelvin Hutton. The programme is regularly monitored, with a dietician visiting each venue once a month.

Staff have also recently been trained to deliver the programme to children through the council’s Kidz Power sessions, its fitness circuits for 6- to 12-year-olds. It’s envisaged that instructors will give simple healthy eating messages to Kidz Power participants such as ideas for healthy snacks and packed lunches.