THE growing problem of childhood obesity is being tackled by a new campaign in Basingstoke.

The aim of the project is to raise people's awareness of the health risks that go hand-in-hand with being severely overweight.

It is also warning that health problems associated with obesity will overtake smoking-related diseases in the future if nothing is done to address the issue now.

Allison Maxwell, a public health nutritionist at North Hampshire Primary Care Trust, is running the campaign.

She said: "The campaign is concentrating on children because there has been a rapid incre-ase in childhood obesity due to the culture of inactivity, plus computer games and advertising.

"The figures for obesity nationally have trebled in the last 10 years. If someone is obese, in later life they are more susceptible to heart disease and diabetes."

Ms Maxwell said there are no specific figures for the increase in childhood obesity in the Bas-ingstoke area - only national figures.

But she said: "There is nothing to suggest Basingstoke is worse than the rest of the UK, but neither is there anything to say Basingstoke does not follow the national trend."

Nationally, obesity in six-year-olds has doubled to 8.5 per cent, and has trebled among 15-year-olds to 15 per cent.

Ms Maxwell said: "The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of obesity. A lot of people are not aware that obesity in children can increase their susceptibility to dangerous diseases in later life."

The obesity campaign is taking a pro-active approach by getting the message out to the Basingstoke public this month.

A team of health professionals, including dieticians and health visitors, will be visiting Festival Place and Sainsbury's in Kempshott to spread the word about tacking obesity. They will be running a stand with competitions, healthy food sampling, belly dancing, information and advice.

Ms Maxwell said: "Following this, depending on the results and the feedback, we will then think about the next stage as we want to take this forward.

"We need to firstly find out what the public would like - that could be things like cooking classes or physical activities."

The campaign stand will be in Festival Place on Monday, October 4, from 9am to 6pm, and in Sainsbury's in Kempshott on Thursday, October 7, from 10am to 6pm.