WeightWatchers tries to trim down the workforce ... literally

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The scheme, which will target ninetofivers who sit at a computer all day, has been devised by WeightWatchers and will be offered to companies across Britain.

Dieticians will run classes during lunch hour or immediately after work, offer advice to employees and weigh them every week.

Mads Ryder, senior vice president of WeightWatchers UK, who lost 26lb on the weight-loss course last year, said he expected at least 500 organisations to sign up.

"There are a lot of companies that want to take more care of their employees and offer more than an overall package," he said.

"For the employer it will help cut healthcare costs and cut down on the number of days staff are off sick, and I don't think employees will have a problem with taking part.

"Losing weight makes you more confident about yourself and improves your ability to do your job."

It is understood Waitrose, run by Mark Price, the self-styled "chubby grocer" who has started his own "notsochubby" blog about his battle to shed a few pounds, is among those to have expressed an interest.

Mr Ryder said his company would promise confidentiality to prevent colleagues finding out each other's weights and that the scheme would offer staff a support network to prevent them slipping back into bad habits. He said he also hoped it would cut staff absence from the workplace, which is thought to cost businesses more than £13 billion a year, with an average of 6.7 days lost per employee.

"We are about changing attitudes to food," he added.

"Unfortunately the UK is one of the leading countries in terms of a growing obesity problem."