A WORCESTERSHIRE councillor says obesity levels in the county have got out of hand - calling for fresh efforts to tackle it.

Councillor Graham Vickery, Labour's health spokesman at County Hall, says health chiefs have failed to prioritise it for too long.

As the Worcester News revealed last month, a new campaign is due to launch to try and get people across Worcestershire trimmer.

The package of ideas includes urging GPs to send overweight people directly to sports clubs, leisure classes and fitness groups.

A new investigation to see where extra cycle lanes can be placed around Worcestershire and talks with the county's headteacher association to encourage more sport in schools is also included.

But Councillor Vickery has challenged health chiefs on making it a higher priority.

"We've seen a number of reports recently that shows that Worcestershire is worse than the national average when it comes to obesity levels," he said.

"Some of the reports have been quite sensational.

"I've always believed exercise makes you fit bit it doesn't necessarily help you lose weight, I think that comes down to diet.

"It needs to be readdressed, this council's priorities, when it comes to obesity levels."

Dr Frances Howie, the corporate director in charge of public health at County Hall, told him the aim was around getting more "positive messages" to people.

"It's both diet and exercise, that's what the evidence tells us," she said.

"If you get your 150 minutes of exercise per week you will half your risk of cardiovascular disease.

"Physical activity can trigger behavioural change, that's a message people are a lot more tuned into because people respond to positive messages.

"In some parts of the county campaigns can have quite a high resonance, when it comes to changing people's behaviour.

"But what we don't want to do is make it all about elite sport."

The debate took place during a meeting of the health overview and scrutiny committee at County Hall.

In May Worcestershire was named and shamed as one of England's fattest areas, according to figures showing hospital admissions for obesity.

The had 1,634 hospital admissions per 100,000 of population because of obesity i 2015, more than twice the national average.