OVERWEIGHT people are costing local health services nearly £150m a year, according to a new report.

Figures released by the Department of Health show overweight and obese people in Lewisham cost the health service £76.2m last year while large residents in Greenwich cost the health service £73m.

This makes the two boroughs the 12th and 15th most costly areas in London out of the capital's 31 Primary Care Trust (PCT) areas.

The same report predicted that by 2015 up to £84.5m will be spent in Lewisham treating diseases linked to obesity, and around £81m in Greenwich.

Interim Director for public health at Lewisham PCT, Katrina McCormick, said: ”Obesity is now one of the most important issues in children's health.

"Nutritional workshops have been running in children's centres where parents and their young children can learn about the importance of healthy eating and exercise.”

She added: “Breastfeeding is an important way of avoiding problems with obesity in children.

"The recent opening of a breastfeeding cafe at the Waldron Health Centre in New Cross, where pregnant women and new mothers can learn about the importance of breastfeeding and healthy eating for their children, is just one initiative to help.”

Meanwhile a spokesman for Greenwich Teaching PCT said: "We have developed a number of cross agency programmes to support healthy eating and increase levels of physical activity in schools.

"These include the new school meals programme, the Greenwich Community Food Initiative, the Active for Health and Healthwise Physical activity programme and the Community Health Promoters programme."

A survey by the NHS in 2005 estimated 19.2 per cent of people in Lewisham were obese and 20.2 per cent in Greenwich.

The London estimate was 18.4 per cent with the national average thought to be around 23 per cent.