A HEALTH programme designed to curb obesity levels in Burnley and Pendle has been slimmed down before it has even got off the ground.

The East Lancashire boroughs are each involved in a £10 million north west bid called Target: Wellbeing, whose aims include getting more people out of their armchairs and into exercise.

East Lancashire Primary Care Trust, which is looking after the Burnley and Pendle portions of the bid, was told that eight out of the 10 local authorities selected for the initiative would be successful.

But now regional NHS leaders say that all 10 shortlisted areas - also including Liverpool, Halton, Knowsley, Ellesmere Port, Manchester, Oldham, Preston and St Helens - will benefit.

This means that both the Burnley and Pendle schemes, which each expected almost £1m in investment, will receive a smaller share of the money.

The Burnley bid, which contained 38 proposals, has now been reduced by six per cent, to £845,000, and Pendle's, covering 35 areas, by 28 per cent, to £702,000.

This means that some of the proposals have had to be dropped from the bid.

Heather Grimbaldshaw, East Lancashire PCT's acting director of public health, said: "We have been promised detailed feedback on why projects have not been included but due to the bidding timeframe this is not yet available."

The promoters of the north west bid will discover in June if their application has been successful. Work could begin in August on the obesity programmes.

Part of the work is aimed at encouraging people with sedentary lifestyles to take up more exercise.

Another aspect focuses on poor diet, an acknowledged contributory factor in the growing levels of obesity in the area, according to public health experts.

Other elements of the wellbeing bid cover supporting people with mental health problems in the community and separate projects covering prison populations and people living in care homes.