I don't know whether anyone else heard the item on the Radio 5 Live breakfast show recently where some academic was claiming that there was no obesity epidemic and that the health risks of being seriously overweight were overstated. Well no doubt he has some statistics to back up his claims, but I suspect it's just a case of trying to get his five minutes of fame by being controversial.

Perhaps the word epidemic is not appropriate when discussing obesity but any trip around my local Asda supermarket makes it pretty clear to me that the problem is quite widespread. And speaking of supermarkets, why is it that as soon as anyone sets foot in one of these places they start moving at a pace that I would describe as 'snail-like', but that would be a major insult to gastropods everywhere? Add the fact that it's Christmas and the stores are jam-packed and what you have is a real problem of near gridlock for those of us with busy lives who want to get around the shop in the minimum time possible.

Anyway, this juxtaposition of thoughts lead me to a solution that will give everyone some much needed exercise and will also considerably reduce the overcrowding - supermarket aerobics. The idea is that everyone rushes round with their trolley trying to beat their own personal best. That way everyone would get round in half the time and the shop will only be half as crowded. The really keen participants could stop off at the beer aisle to do some bench presses with a couple of cases of Stella Artois. As a final twist, supermarket staff would move your car to a new random location whilst you were shopping, so you would have to do a few laps of the car park with your trolley to find it.

Remember, you heard it here first.