But it probably will surprise you to discover that according to the body mass index - a measure of body fat based on height and weight - anyone who is three stone overweight is classed as obese.

After fighting her own battle of the bulge for years, one Driffield woman decided to take matters into her own hands by joining the LighterLife programme which has helped her lose more than seven stone to date.

Hilary Clayton first joined the programme, which is based on a very low calorie diet, two years ago just as her health was starting to deteriorate.

Hilary said: "I was feeling ill and exhausted most of the time, I was completely out of breath after climbing the stairs and frequently had to stop halfway up. I thought at this stage that if I didn't do something I was going to die."

After losing more than seven stone in seven months, Hilary decided to help others do the same and is now a LighterLife counsellor running weekly meetings in Driffield for anyone who not only wants to lose weight but also wants to stay in control of their weight for the rest of their lives.

"I had been working as a social worker but was so impressed with the LighterLife programme I decided to apply to become a counsellor. I got through the rigorous interview procedure and went on to train as a LighterLife counsellor. I gave up social work, moved to Driffield and set up my practice on Exchange Street," she added.

LighterLife is a unique weight management programme which encourages weight loss through a step by step diet starting with nutritionally balanced soups, bars and shakes before gradually introducing every day foods back into your daily diet.

It is a simple diet plan to follow, but Hilary is concerned there are many people out there who do not understand what obesity is or realise that they fit into this category.

"It may surprise you to know that having a body mass index of 30 or over, that's roughly being three stone overweight, classifies you as obese.

"For women who consider themselves curvy or men who have always thought of themselves as beefy, the news that they are actually obese can come as a real shock," she said.

"Obesity is classed as a disease in its own right, and the more obese you are, the higher your chances of developing a range of related illnesses including heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, cancer, type two diabetes, breathing problems, osteoarthritis, gallstones, gout and Alzheimer's," Hilary added.

According to Hilary, our hectic lifestyles are one of the root causes of the obesity epidemic that is now hanging over our society with time saving measures such as eating ready meals and take-aways, travelling by car instead of walking, and not exercising because of late working hours all contributing to the problem.

Hilary added: "The harsh fact is that obesity reduces life expectancy by approximately nine years and can diminish your quality of life immeasurably.

"So the next time that zip gets stuck or you have to loosen your belt one extra notch there is no shame in admitting that, rather than being cuddly, curvy or big, you are actually obese and you need to do something about it, just as you would any other medical condition. Obesity isn't a dirty word and it's time we faced up to it."

One woman who has done just that is Laura Sanders, of Wetwang, who has lost just under five stone after 19 weeks on the programme.

"It's like any drastic life change, there are always going to be downs but I think it's quite positive in the sense that you have the support there from your counsellor and the support from your group and the rewards are so big it makes all the hard work worthwhile," she said.
Laura, who works in the information and exams office at Driffield School, has amazed her colleagues with her transformation and insists there is no going back now.

"Now I have reached my goal I can start thinking about how I can carry on the rest of my life and keep the weight off," she said.

After completing a 14-week foundation stage, followed by a five-week developers programme, Laura is about to embark on the third step referred to as Routes Management where she will learn how to gradually re-introduce every day foods into her diet and identify the types of foods she needs to avoid.

"The weekly meetings are great and it helps to have people there who are going through the same thing. Hilary is great, you couldn't ask for a better counsellor," Laura added.

For further information about LighterLife or to attend a free information session contact Hilary Clayton, tel (01377) 255808, or visit www.lighterlife.com