An obesity helpline number should accompany the sale of larger-sized clothes, health experts advised yesterday.

The measure is one of several recommended by academics who fear the growing problem of obesity in the UK could bankrupt the National Health Service.

A report, Obesity - Can We Turn The Tide? - said changes in society and Government policy were urgently needed to reverse the trend. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, suggests:

* Including helpline numbers with all clothes sold with a waist larger than 40in (102cm) for men, and 37in (94cm) for boys. The same should apply to women's garments, with a waist larger than 35in (88cm), or size 16 or above, and more than 31in (80cm) for girls;

* Banning the positioning of sweets and fatty snacks at, or near, shop tills, and at child's-eye level;

* Taxing processed foods that are high in sugar or saturated fat;

l Health checks for all school leavers, both primary and secondary;

* Allowing new urban roads only if they have safe cycle lanes;

* Establishing a dedicated central agency responsible for all aspects of obesity.

The report was written by Laurence Gruer, director of public health science at NHS Health Scotland, and Sir George Alberti, emeritus professor of medicine at Newcastle University.

Glasgow University professors Naveed Sattar and Mike Lean also contributed to the report, which calls for a wider acceptance of drugs and surgery as ways of cutting the health risks that arise from obesity, including depression, stroke, diabetes and back pain.

The report concludes: "As the prevalence and costs of obesity escalate, the economic argument for giving high priority to obesity and weight management, through a designated co-ordinating agency, will ultimately become overwhelming. The only question is, will action be taken before it's too late?"