Fergie's summer slimming show

Mar 6, 2008, 12:35 GMT

A documentary featuring Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, helping a poor family fight the fat will air this summer.

The two-part ITV series provisionally titled 'The Duchess in Hull' involved the duchess spending a few weeks at a £40-a-night bed and breakfast in East Yorkshire as she tried to improve the diet of the overweight Sargerson family, who lived on a nearby estate.

Sarah, who is an ambassador for dieting company Weight Watchers, said: "This programme is an attempt to explore solutions to the growing obesity problem in the UK. I want to see whether we can help families all over the country, no matter what their budget, to improve their lifestyles through using what is already available to them in their community."

Mick and Tonia Sargerson live with four of their children on the Preston Road estate - which has one of the lowest income levels in Britain - while their 24-year-old daughter has set up home nearby.

During her time with the family earlier this year, Sarah was seen shopping at budget supermarket Netto in a bid to get a feel for what it is like feeding a family on government benefits.

Sarah previously said: "Weight issues are common across all paths of life, in all kinds of people. But I know that the Sargerson family live in a way I hadn't experienced."

(C) BANG Media International