South Yorkshire doctors 'should be able to prescribe exercise'
It's claimed South Yorkshire doctors should be able to prescribe exercise to patients struggling with weight problems.
There are calls for all doctors in South Yorkshire to be able to prescribe exercise - to cut down on obesity.
Councils want a scheme to allow GPs to set physical activity goals for those with weight problems
It's something already happening in Barnsley - where doctors refer people they're treating to support-group Be Better Barnsley.
Shelly Wearing works for the service - she says it encourages more people to get out there:
"There are people who feel they can't exercise, people who feel don't have time, people who don't enjoy it - there's also a stigma attached to exercise. It's about a gym and some people don't feel comfortable going to a gym. But there's loads of different way you can exercise - dog walking is a great form of exercise."
"Sometimes everybody needs that little bit of a push. These days we all kind of know we should be exercising a bit more but actually making that step to get out there and find some exercise that suits you is the biggest step. So if GPs are accessing services that provide a range of different exercises that's fantastic."
Shelly says GPs are well-placed to recommend more exercise for the people they treat:
"They've got all the information in front of them about that patient - generally speaking they're in a good position to say to somebody yeah you know what, you could try a bit of chair-based exercise - maybe their knees aren't so good or maybe they're not so good on their feet."