Overweight and obese women aged 40 and over have the chance to shift the extra pounds with the launch of a new project.

A weight management programme which has helped almost 400 overweight men in Hull is to be opened up to women.

Fit Fans For Her sessions will begin as a pilot scheme in January.

It is primarily aimed at overweight and obese women aged 40 to 65.

They can enrol on 12-week courses held at Craven Park and selected venues in west Hull, including the KC Stadium.

NHS Hull is aiming to fill an initial 60 places with sessions running two days a week across all venues.

Participants will be taught how to manage and maintain a healthy weight by following simple exercise and nutritional instructions.

Each programme will be run by professional fitness trainers and integrate exercise into people's daily routine, either at home or outdoors, while learning similar fitness methods used by players at Hull City and Hull KR.

Rob Ward, project manager for Fit Fans, said: "By combining simple nutritional advice with a series of walking-based routines, resistance training and core stability work, we want to show how easy it is to lose unwanted weight."

The women's project follows the success of NHS Hull's Fit Fans scheme, which is primarily aimed at overweight and obese men in the same age group.

To find out how to sign-up see today's Mail.