According to national statistics, the NHS is now spending a record amount on treating obesity. Thetford in Norfolk is the town that has the majority of cases, and the situation there is worrying enough that the government has pledged £1m to help encourage a healthier lifestyle.

Fearing an Americanized culture of overweight people, steps are being taken to ensure we all eat healthier diets and exercise more. Thetford, being the worst culprit of the fat fry diet, has a life expectancy that is amongst the lowest in the country.

Part of the government’s healthy initiative is to encourage not only the right diet, but also an active lifestyle that will improve individual wellbeing, whether that’s through “gym equipment” such as a pedal exerciser or simply by incorporating more walking into the daily routine. To this aim, there are a number of schemes that will be implemented within the next three years over nine different towns – as you can see, there’s a lot more to it than just purchasing “gym equipment”!

Dudley – Creating family friendly parks
Halifax – Fruit and Vegetable scheme
Middlesborough – Farm expansion
Sheffield – Breastfeeding initiatives
Portsmouth – Walking and cycling initiatives
Thetford – Encouragement to exercise more
Manchester – Exercising schemes
Tower Hamlets – Healthy food initiative

You’ve all seen the adverts consisting of attractive young twenty-something’s shrieking with delight as they bend and jump about in their living rooms whilst using Wii Fit. It looks great doesn’t it? I have always tried to avoid going to the gym, never quite managing to find the motivation for staring at myself for hours on end while I pumped iron or concentrating on not falling off the exercise bike. When I saw the adverts for the Wii Fit though, I saw exercise in a whole new light. Was it reality as fun as it looked? Could this be the way forward for those of us who are too lazy to go to the gym?

Well, yes and no. Yes, it is fun to play, and you are arguably more motivated to prance about in your front room than you would in the public eye. It is a great way of losing weight, and the 40 different activities will mean you won’t get bored of playing it any time soon.
On the downside, it isn’t that great for building up muscles, and I get the general impression that the program was designed with women in mind. A shame really, as I think they’ve missed a trick there, but hopefully Nintendo will release Wii Fit 2: Steroid Edition soon.

As it stands, you have a more than competent ‘game’ that is both fun to play, and will help improve your overall “fitness” levels no end. Better, dare I say, than going to the gym!

Time for a bit of boxing news in the “sports blog”! Londoner David Haye gave American Monte Barrett a lesson in boxing with a five-round demolition at the 02 Arena earlier this month. It was his first fight in the heavyweight division after making the step up from cruiserweight, and the Briton was generally considered the underdog before the punches started flying and it became clear he’d spent a lot of time strengthening himself on his weight bench. Haye’s trash-talking stateside opponent swaggered into town riding high on a sea of confidence, but barely half an hour after setting foot in the ring, was sent packing with his tail between his legs.

An impressive display by all accounts, with one of Ukraine’s Klitschko brothers being his next likely fight. When questioned after the fight by reporters on which Klitschko brother he would like his next opponent to be, Haye quipped: “Flip a coin, I don’t care.”

Vitali Klitschko himself was present at ringside during the fight, and appeared to be impressed with what he saw: “It’s not easy to go to from cruiserweight to heavyweight but David Haye did it brilliantly. I was surprised. The heavyweight division needs strong and good fighters. I saw a new heavyweight fighter who can fight for the world title.”

It may be some time before we see avid Haye challenge for the world title though, as Lennox Lewis (remember him?) is rumoured to be making a comeback. He is sure to be the clear favourite to fight one of the Klitschoko brothers first. If that is the case, then why don’t the ‘powers that be’ do a deal for Haye to fight the other one? See, I knew I should have been a boxing promoter…

Skiing is a great way to keep fit, but for the vast majority of us, we can only experience life on the piste once or twice a year. A far better (and cheaper!) alternative is to look at purchasing aCross Trainer. You’ve no doubt seen rows of them in your local gym; best described as a walking exercise bike, the actions you use mimic those of skiing. They’re an ideal way of losing weight and toning your leg muscles, and are now cheap enough that you can set one up in your bedroom to use whenever you like. After all, what better way is there of preparing yourself for the day ahead than going through 50 or so reps on a Cross Trainer? Actually, don’t answer that…

Because you exercise standing up, they hardly take up much floor room, and can fit comfortably in a cupboard along with your therapy ball when not in use. As a way of building up strength and flexibility, they are hard to beat, and are ideal for those looking to improve their all-round cardiovascular “fitness”. When it comes to training equipment they are head and shoulders above the rest.

Like anything in life, you only get what you pay for, but even the most basic models come with all you would need from them. Our recommendation is the Kirsty Gallacher X Train KG-10211, although we would like to point out for legal reasons that decision may have been influenced by watching Sky Sports 24/7…

Camilla Parker Bowles aka The Duchess of Cornwall has had a turbulent time of it as a Royal, being as she was Prince Charles’ answer to Squidgygate, and the bane of Daily Express-reading Middle England - forever haunted, as they are, by images of Princess Diana’s sad-face. However, having avoided the press in recent times, she has recently gone public about exercise in a bid to promote a more active lifestyle. Being the president of the National Osteoporosis Society, she confesses that whilst she should exercise more herself, keeping fit is vital for maintaining a long and active life. Apparently Body Sculpture Pilates is the way forward for many women.

“I did do a bit of yoga and used to do a lot of walking before I got married, but I have let things slide” she remarked. “I think I am going to have to make it my New Year’s resolution – maybe to do some ‘Pilates’ or even some Tai Chi.”

Osteoporosis itself is a gradual thinning of the bones which many women can become susceptible when they reach the age of 50. “Pilates” itself is a simple exercise that helps build up key muscles around the body, and it is said to be practiced by up to 11 million people around the world.

Whilst we can only commend the Duchess on promoting Pilates, we do wonder why she would seek to convert to Tai Chi as well. Has she gone exercise crazy? Where will it all end up? Kick boxing? Bare knuckle fighting? The next 12 months will certainly be interesting in the Royal household if she carries on like this… Charles beware!

British tennis player Andy Murray is planning on adding on more than a few pounds this Christmas, as he attempts to add further muscle to his game next year. Unlike his rivals, Andy is lacking behind in terms of his physical game, and if he is to compete with the Federer’s and Nadel’s of this world, he will need to follow their examples and beef up a bit.
“I’ll have to eat loads, because I’m training for five hours a day,” he told local media. “I’ll be eating sushi, drinking protein drinks, eating those bars you have after a match. Mind you, my gGran is cooking Christmas lunch, so I don’t think that will be sushi.”

Mmm-mm! Sushi, energy bars and protein drinks. Sounds like a mouthwatering combination. Perfect for Christmas.

Take our advice Andy, follow the Ricky Hatton diet - just eat everything you can get your hands on. Come January, leap into your “gym kit” and pick up those wrist weights after you’ve gorged yourself on chocolate, turkey and copious amounts of alcohol. Before you know it, you’ll be wandering around the tennis court like some pseudo-Olympic god. Possibly. At least it’s worth a go, and has got to be better than eating… sushi? Right?

For those of you who haven’t heard the news yet, Lewis Hamilton has been crowned the youngest ever Formula One world champion. Blimey. In fact, if you haven’t heard the news, where have you been?! Nowhere near any of the thousands of sport blogs talking about it, that’s for sure!

In one of the most dramatic F1 finales, the Brit rode his luck, leaving his victory in the balance until the very last corner of the Brazilian Grand Prix. The volatile weather played its part in proceedings, with the start of the race delayed by 10 minutes in order to give teams a chance to change tyres as the rain pored down in a flashflood. However, it ended as quickly as it had started, leaving the track time to dry out and adding to more complications for the teams that had to call in their drivers for another quick pit stop.

With his championship rival, Felipe Massa, leading the race from start to finish, Lewis Hamilton managed to keep on track for his inaugural world title by staying in 5th place throughout. The plan fell apart right at the end though, as the weather decided to pour down again with just a few laps to go. Hamilton stopped for a change to wet tyres, but dropped down a place in doing so. All seemed lost as Massa crossed the finish line, the championship leader if things stayed as they were. However, Timo Glock, the Toyota driver in front of Lewis had to pull over with barely seconds left before he completed his final lap, handing fifth place and the world championship to the Englishman. High drama indeed, and a fitting conclusion to one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory. Well done, Lewis!

Wembley Stadium transformed itself into the 52nd American state last Sunday, as the NFL came to town, bringing with it all the glitz, glamour and new football kit you’d expect from our transatlantic cousins. The New Orleans Saints took on the San Diego Chargers in a game between the two sides that proved to be just as competitive in reality as it was on paper. The two teams were evenly matched, and the 90,000 fans that made the journey to North West London were treated to a classic display of gridiron at its finest.

There were plenty of touchdowns to wow the crowds, which made for a sharp contrast to events 12 months ago in the NFL’s first international game that featured the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins. Back then, the rain poured down, as both teams found it difficult to score. However, with the latest game played in better conditions, the scoreboard didn’t stop flashing all night long.

American Football still has an enormous following in this country two decades after the glory days of the 1980s. With at least another two annual games to be played at Wembley, NFL chiefs are seriously considering the possibility of London having its own team at some point in the future. A mere pipedream at the moment perhaps, but don’t be surprised if you see a range of classic football shirts on sale in preparation for a London Monarchs come-back in a few years’ time. Get your retro football shirt order in now. You heard it here first …

Following last week’s sport blog report about the Japanese Grand Prix, I feel compelled to write about Lewis Hamilton’s performance in the Chinese Grand Prix. He answered his critics in the best way possible, and won the event in style! Hamilton has previously come under fire from not only sections of the media, but also from his fellow Formula One drivers, who branded him arrogant and reckless thanks to his driving style and attitude towards racing.

However, he put all the criticism behind him with a commanding performance in China, which saw him lead the race from pole position, leaving his championship rival, Felipe Massa, having to settle for second place.

Things could have been worse for Massa though, as by rights he should have finished in third if it wasn’t for his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen confirming transfers rumors and swapping positions with him late in the race. This means that the championship now goes down to the wire for the next race, with only seven points separating Hamilton and Massa. If the Englishman finishes fifth or higher, the championship is his.

Hamilton’s main rival last year, Fernando Alonso, had an outstanding race in his Renault, coming in on fourth place. If only he had experienced this kind of form earlier in the season, the title race may have looked considerably different to how it is now. It’s a case of too little too late for the Spaniard.

All eyes are now on Brazil, with Lewis Hamilton well and truly in pole for his first world title …

OK so usually I talk about football, but no sport blog would be complete without mentioning last week’s Japanese Grand Prix. Renault F1’s Fernando Alonso raced his way to a surprising victory in the Japanese Grand Prix, leaving title hopeful Lewis Hamilton out in the cold as he paid the price for an error-prone performance in the land of the rising sun. His main rival, Ferrari driver Felipe Massa managed to close the gap on him to just five points with two races still to go, as a few cracks began to appear in the otherwise normally self-confident Englishman’s armor.

His troubles began when he ran off the track at the start of the race, and was then nudged aside a lap later by the Brazilian. The difference between the two came after they both served penalties for separate incidents, but while Massa brought his car in on 7th place, Hamilton was left wanting, as he could only reach as high as 12th with a damaged car.

It looks like the title race is going to the wire again this year, with only China and Brazil remaining on the fixtures list. Who will hold the crown at the end of the day? The smart money is still on Lewis Hamilton, although if he carries on performing as badly as this, then he only has himself to blame if he misses out on his maiden World Championship …