A project to help teenage girls get in shape has won praise from Health Secretary John Reid. Kate Thompson finds out more.

A GROUP of teenage girls from Maybush in Southampton are being encouraged to watch what they eat and get in shape thanks to a successful youth project.

Detached youth worker Audrey Miller is delighted up to 20 local girls a week are taking the trouble to get involved in the scheme - and their hard work is paying off.

"We started off with the girls coming along to take part in sport each week.

"They were fed up because there wasn't anything organised for them so we played rounders and volleyball.

"They kept coming back and we decided to run a nutrition course so they could find out more about the food they were eating," she said.

The girls were given pedometers to illustrate how many calories they were burning in a day and at the weekly sessions they are encouraged to eat fruit snacks rather than sweets or crisps and have healthy drinks.

"Some of the girls are overweight and the fact they now come in with an orange rather than a bag of sweets is a breakthrough," said Audrey.

Gemma Clark, 15, from Merry Oak said she enjoyed being part of the group and she had learned about the food she should be eating.

"I feel in much better shape and I have a lot more strength because I have been exercising regularly.

"It's good to know about the food you are eating. I hadn't thought about it before but now I am more aware.

"I look at the fat and sugar content now," she said.

Audrey explained the nutrition programme lasted for six weeks and it ended with a Ready, Steady, Cook type evening.

"The girls had to make dishes for myself and another person to try," she said.

Audrey plans to broaden the issues raised with the girls and tackle subjects such as drugs and alcohol, sexual health and teen pregnancy.