Celebrities are backing a new campaign to get Wiltshire's 11 and 12-year-olds physically active in a bid to stem the rising tide of obesity in youngsters.

Children will be encouraged to walk to school, to take up sport and to keep on the move in the Well Fit campaign.

The British Heart Foundation is behind the latest initiative to tackle the growing problem of physical inactivity, one of the major factors in increasing obesity among young people.

The Well Fit campaign, launched recently on World Heart Day, has won the support of local health professionals who want to take a holistic approach to the problem of increasingly tubby school children.

"More and more children are referred to us," said chief community dietician for Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust Cheryl Richards.

"Generally the people who come to us are not just overweight, they are suffering from related health problems too.

"We are trying to get more on board primary health care teams as well as schools, which are bringing in more sports now."

The dieticians see only the more extreme cases and give advice and encouragement to help youngsters take a broad view of the problem and cultivate a more healthy lifestyle in terms of diet and exercise.

"Both go hand in hand," said Ms Richards. "The whole family needs to make the changes, it's not just the child's problem.

"It's about making changes to a whole life and getting the child on board."

She said children faced many pressures from the food industry and were bombarded with advertising, tempted by toys and gimmicks and fancy packaging.

However changes are on the way with some manufacturers abandoning production of their king size sweets.

"It's a big problem and we need help from various agencies," said Ms Richards.

"Overweight children often face problems of self esteem and belonging, and it is often when they move to secondary schools that parents are most concerned."

The future is bleak if the current rapid acceleration in childhood obesity continues, at least half of the children in England will be obese by 2020.

This will spell disaster for the heart health of future generations as obesity significantly increases the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease.

To get the message across, the BHF will be providing each secondary school starter in Wiltshire with a free lifestyle magazine with celebrity interviews and a free CD-Rom.

The magazine, called WellFit!, will be packed full of information about fun ways to get active as well as celebrity gossip and interviews from, among others, Girls Aloud, Jonny Wilkinson, Rachel Stevens, McFly, Blazin' Squad, and the cast of iDream.

The BHF is also producing a new report on the Couch Kids epidemic sweeping the nation, a support pack for teachers and an advice booklet for parents called Get Kids on the Go.

British Heart Foundation nurse Katriona Glen, who is based at Bath's Royal United Hospital and provides support for heart patients in Wiltshire, is backing the campaign.

She said, "If the rise in childhood obesity continues at the current pace, the heart health of future generations is at serious risk as obesity significantly increases the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease. Action is needed now to prevent this disaster."

The specially designed teaching support materials will give information and advice for Year 7 tutors to prompt discussion and debate around the key issues of activity and health.

For parents, the Get Kids on the Go booklet, will contain tips and advice on what can be done to get kids moving.

"We all remember what an important step starting secondary school is. We think this is the perfect opportunity to talk to young people and arm them with the ammunition to get active and avoid slipping into bad habits.

"The Well Fit! campaign aims to ensure that the ticking time bomb of obesity is defused before it's too late," said Nicki Cooper, head of education at the British Heart Foundation.

For a copy of Get Kids on the Go, please call 01604 640 016 or visit bhf.org.uk/publications.

For more information on the Well Fit! campaign, and to download a copy of the Couch Kids report, visit bhf.org.uk/wellfit.