PUT down the dumbbells and get off the treadmill – exercise isn’t the key to tackling obesity, a new report claims.

The article, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, says while obesity levels have risen year on year, the number of people exercising has not and stated poor diet was more dangerous than laziness, alcohol and smoking combined.

The report, which was compiled by cardiologists and sports experts, prompted a mixed response in Swindon.

Helen Auburn, a nutritional therapist from Old Town, said sugar and carbohydrates are the real enemies in the obesity war.

“Nutritional health is more important than exercise for long-standing good health and wellbeing,” she said.

“You can exercise regularly and still have a heart attack because your diet is causing unseen damage internally. It’s about re-education and showing people what is really healthy to eat.

“It’s the right food and exercise that will enable you to be healthier. When I see clients who are overweight it’s often due to bowel problems which require a diet consultation and showing them what their diet is doing to them.

“Limiting sugar in your diet, eating lots of lean meat and green leafy vegetables and steering clear of sodium and aspartame-laced drinks such as Diet Coke is important.”

Julie Boyle, from Lydiard Millicent-based JB Personal Trainers, said that exercise and healthy eating go hand-in-hand in sustaining successful weight loss.

She said: “Of course we get people who reward themselves after exercise through eating food and that is a challenge to get someone to change their diet.

“It’s a psychological and behavioural issue as well as a physical one. We will never take someone on as a client unless they make the commitment to change their diet and that is something we will talk through with them, alongside their training.”

Fiona Dickens, public health programme manager and a qualified dietician at Swindon Borough Council, said: agreed with the view that regular exercise will not cancel out excessive eating.

“It’s vital to keep reassuring people that being physically active as well as paying attention to what you eat are both really important and will help with managing your weight.” she said.

“Even if you’re doing lots of exercise, it’s certainly true that consuming excessive sugary or fatty food and drink is still not advisable.

“Being active combined with having a healthy diet is a proven way to reach and stay a healthy weight.

The editorial said the public had been sold a “false perception” that exercise was more important than eating healthily, using examples of major sports championships endorsed by junk food brands such as Coca Cola and McDonalds.

Obesity is a rising epidemic in Britain with 25 percent of adults now obese compared with less than three percent in the 1970s.