Fido the fat blaster

Forget free fruit in schools and boot camp for children - the new frontier in the battle with the bulge could be the family dog.

As experts grapple with an escalating childhood obesity epidemic, new research has found that owning a pet could keep children slim and healthy.

An Australian study found young children who have a dog were 50 per cent less likely to be overweight or obese compared with those who do not have one in the family home.

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And they use a picture of a fat dog... the one that was overweight at the SPCA.

The study, which looked at more than 1100 children aged five to 12, found they were in better shape if they had a dog, even if they did not walk it regularly.