The Watching our Weight club, or WOW for short, meets at the Thorpe View day centre in the village every month for two hours, with the opportunity for the 12 members to fill in food and exercise diaries and talk to the class about their achievements.

Classes are built around the same structure which is beneficial for people with learning difficulties. Each one starts with a weigh-in before the group splits into two, and one group do simple cooking and then eat their creations, and the other talks about how to make good food choices, and then they swap.

Along the way they are given monogrammed chefs hats and aprons to build a sense of identity, while certificates and vouchers will reward positive outcomes and attendance.

The club is run by Dr Jeff Bartley who is a chartered physiotherapist, and active living co-ordinator at the Knoll in Lancaster.

Dr Bartley said: "People with learning disabilities have a high incidence of obesity and inactivity and face more challenges with these issues than the general population.

"These challenges include communication and understanding the issues about the importance of leading an active life and eating healthier food.

"Their need for carers in their lives is also important and their help and input needs to be brought in to any solutions to tackle obesity and inactivity.

"Weight loss is obviously an important indicator of outcomes and one that a majority of our members are experiencing but not our main 'obsession'.

"The reports back from members and their carers are an important part of the 'story'.

"My starting philosophy for the WOW club was not to 'point the finger' at people's weight but to help them create more healthy food and drink options and thus help them 'bin' the more obvious unhealthy options that were in their day-to-day lives.

"It's more about long term lifestyle change and better understanding of what the healthy food choices are, than weight loss.

"So far our members of the club and their carers have noticed a greater awareness of healthy food and drink options; reduction in fatty, salty sugary foods and increased consumption of fruit and veg.

"Home videos have given members a rare opportunity to greater involvement in food preparation and reinforce the food messages of the WOW club.

"Our cooking practical sessions are also helpful in developing members self confidence, food handling skills and preparation not to mention their talk to camera skills!

"Each month members are given simple quick but healthy recipes which are set out in simple language with pictures to help.

"Outcomes thus go beyond just 'weight loss' and I think it is important to continually stress the need to address the complex social dynamics that shape our eating and lifestyle behaviour.

"People with learning disability are no different in this but arguably face more challenges than we do in our day to day lives.

"The result from the WOW club so far is a positive story on all of these fronts.

"The challenge, however, is to find ways to continue the WOW club within a way that builds on the hard work of all involved in this pilot study."

Amanda Scott, from Heysham, is one of the WOW Club members.

She said: "The WOW club has helped me lose lots of weight, and my favourite part of the class is the weigh-in.

"Every day I keep a diary of the food I eat and the exercise I do. Now that I'm learning to cook with the WOW club I've made food at home too, like lasagne.

"I'm doing more exercise too – my favourite things to do are swimming and walking."

Members of WOW are from Lancaster district and all have varying levels of learning disability and mobility.

The WOW club is run by staff from The Knoll on Westbourne Road in Lancaster and is a 12-month pilot running until October 2008 funded by North Lancashire Teaching PCT.