A council has set out its proposals to lower levels of childhood obesity.

Obesity levels among children in Medway are slightly above the average for England.

Medway Council has set out an across-the-board package on how to lower these levels.

The proposals were discussed at a meeting of the council's cabinet yesterday.

Councillors agreed to set up a Healthy Weight Core Working Group which will oversee the Medway Healthy Weight Network to bring together stakeholders who will meet every six months.

This will form three sub groups covering physical activity, infant feeding and food.

A number of interventions and activities set up by the council as part of the strategy include free swimming, Nordic walking and cookery lessons for adults.

Discussions at the meeting focussed around giving people the means to make themselves healthy meals.

Cllr David Brake (Con), portfolio holder for adults' services, said: "Despite our sustained efforts, our obesity rates for both children and adults continue to be challenging.

"This reinforces our need to take a systematic and long-term approach to support all residents to help them improve.

"This is not an exaggeration to say this is the largest population health challenge we face and the responsibility we should not shy away from addressing."

Cllr Jane Chitty (Con), porfolio holder for planning, economic growth and regulation, said: "It is a matter of choice. I would love to see adults having that choice and taking the right route.

"Where it is very concerning is with young children, and the rate of obesity in young children is scary because if they get into a regime of eating the wrong foods, how do they know what the right food is?"

A council-led obesity conference will be held next month.

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