Britain has the higher levels of obesity and overweight people than anywhere in Western Europe except for Iceland or Malta, with almost two thirds now classed as overweight.

Mrs Nokes said: One of the biggest barriers to physical participation is a cultural one. I always use the example of golf club where actually walking through the door you are almost inevitably going to be told that you are wearing the wrong thing, on your instant arrival, and the same is true for many gyms.

Its imperative to be wearing the right kit and wherever you go there are mirrors on every wall so people who feel somewhat nervous, anxious about making that first step, and I firmly believe that it is that first step that is the most important one, can sometimes be put off instantly on arrival and I have long said that the hardest thing about keeping girls in sport is that wonderful substance Lycra that everyone will be wearing in a gym.

Yet those who feel slightly self-conscious those who might be overweight can look in the mirror at themselves clad in Lycra and decide that this is not for them and they are never coming back.

So it is critical that we have welcoming environments and it is critical that those environments are accessible both in terms of cost and to the physical structure of the buildings but what I think it absolutely imperative is that you have a culture of welcome enthusiasm encouragement from the instructors.

Miss Ellison gave her support to Miss Noakes telling MPs: Like the honourable member of Romsey and Southampton North [Mrs Nokes] I too remember the Lycra shame of the 80s and the feel the burn movement and we dont want people to do that, we dont want people to give up on it we must remove those barriers to entry, I heard about wonderful initiatives at local government level like T-Shirt swimming days for people who dont want to go swimming in a swimsuit and all sorts of clever things that local Government is doing.

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Get rid of mirrors and Lycra so fat people do more excercise, public health minister suggests