A GYM he been set up to put babies as young as six weeks old through their paces in an effort to tackle childhood obesity.

My Gym is the first of its kind in the country and offers babies the chance to have a go at baby boxing, sliding down a zip wire, or gymnastics.

The gym in Radford Way, Billericay, was created off the back of a concept founded in California 30 years ago and has been successful in China, Thailand, Vietnam, Dubai, France, Spain and New Zealand.

Owner Meera Khalfan, 26, said: “Our motto is we are creating healthy adults. We are trying to make exercise fun from a young age.

“Kids are obsessed with iPods and computers, that’s the way the world is going, so to be able to give them the chance to run around in a safe environment is a positive thing.

“With the youngest children, it is a lot about teaching the parents and encouraging them. It’s surprising how much the little ones can actually do.

“The older children are basically doing an adults workout.

We try to keep it fun by getting them to do a mix of things and that way they don’t realise how hard they are working.”

Latest figures from the National Child Measurement Programme show over 17 per cent of ten and 11-year-olds in Essex are classed as obese, according to their body mass index. Older children up to the age of 13 take part in cardio workouts, circuit training, aerobics and kickboxing at My Gym in a bid to get fit and lose weight.

Miss Khalfan, who lives in Billericay, decided to open a centre in Britain after a visit to see her family in Dubai.

She said: “My nephews were always going to the gym and used to go on about how much they loved it, so I decided to find out more about it. I contacted the company and they were looking to open in England, so it was right place at the right time.

“The response from parents has been really positive and our membership is really going up.”

For more information, call 01277 624853 or visit www.mygym.com