Overweight and unfit people in Walsall are to be assigned their own health trainers who will accompany them on trips to the gym, tell them what to eat and encourage smokers to quit.

Seven people have been appointed by Walsall teaching Primary Care Trust to work in some of the borough’s most deprived areas including Pleck, Palfrey, Darlaston and Blakenall.

They will take up their posts on January 2.

A recent study by Sport England named Walsall as one of the 10 laziest areas in the country with one in six adults storing up health problems by not exercising enough.

Obesity is also a major problem among children and the council is in the process of appointing an obesity officer who will be responsible for ordering overweight children who have failed to take action to battle the bulge into the gym.

Walsall is one of the first places in the country to appoint health trainers.

GPs will be able to refer patients to the trainers if they approach them for help while leaflets will also be placed in community buildings with details of how people can refer themselves.