Gareth Edwards: On the Box

AFTER the indulgence of Christmas, it's hardly surprising that January is a month where people tend to look at themselves in the mirror, roll their eyes and vow to shed some pounds.

Some will head to the gym determined to sweat it off, others will embark on the latest celebrity diet of boiled leaves and moth-wings, while the majority will read a magazine article on weight loss while munching a burger, before deciding they're happy as they are.

For those people however, help is at hand, in the round and blubbery shape of a TV show which can actually motivate you in your battle against the bulge.

Fat Families is the latest self-improvement show from Sky1, and as you might expect is aiming to help a bunch of obese Brits slim down a size or ten.

First up are the Cuffs, specifically parents Tarnya, 39, and Mike, 40, who weigh in at a staggering 33.2st and 24st respectively.

There's the usual tragic factoids about obesity - Tarnya is so huge she can't even fit in the bath, and after breaking a leg last year it took two paramedics and three postmen to carry her into the ambulance.

Quite why there were three postmen on hand is never fully explained, but at any rate the couple saw it as a wake-up call to do something about their weight.

They also they want to take the kids to Disneyland, but presumably don't want to pay for extra-jumbo seats and excess baggage.

The real star of the show Steve Miller, whose self-help book 'Get Off Your Arse and Lose Weight' is a good indicator of his no-nonsense style - he's not afraid to call a fatty a fatty. Or make them strip off so he can point out just how fat they are. Or take a chainsaw to their couch before tagging them to ensure they follow his exercise plan.

He also has a great line in motivational phrases, such as "no one's fat in a famine" and has the Cuffs huffing and puffing away in no time.

While his handy tips might prove beneficial to anyone looking to shift some weight, far more effective is the thought that if you don't start slimming down, it might be your house he winds up at next.