This book accompanies the primetime BBC1 series Fat Nation, in which a nutritionist, an exercise guru, and a psychologist work with the residents of one Birmingham street, providing information, ideas, and motivation to help them to lose weight and learn healthy eating and activity habits to last a lifetime.

The emphasis is on recognising the nationwide issue of obesity and on taking small steps towards tackling it - finding easy and inexpensive ways to eat more healthily and gradually stepping up activity levels in daily life.

All the advice from the television programme will be in the book, along with more detailed information, including food "swaps", understanding food labels, eating advice for the whole family, and how diet can help with health complaints.

A chapter on Staying in Shape covers diet and activity from young adulthood, through pregnancy and parenthood, and into old age.