16/01/2012 Inside Out West Midlands

In tonight's programme, what is it like to know your home is at risk?

The week after the Government gave the go-ahead for High Speed Two, we

meet some of the people most affected. I just feel numb, I can't

believe we have just found this a out.

Shake it off, lunged to press. Walsall personal fitness trainer

Paul Wilson investigates why we are the fattest region in Europe and

takes on a challenge to sort out three serial dieters. This is

probably the hardest thing I have ever done! I didn't realise how

And football dreams can come true, we catch up with someone of the

stars of the future. I am Mary Rhodes and this is Inside

Welcome to Tamworth, home to the Reliant Robin and to some of the

country's fattest people. And all because we asked Paul Wilson to

Guess what, recent studies show that six in every 100 people think

they are obese but the real number is one in four people who are obese.

The fact is we are getting used to being fat, we think it is normal.

I am doing a documentary about diet. If a are you saying I am fat?

you go swimming, men look at you as a look at the size of her. And at

the end of the day, you are the size you are and if people don't

like it, it is tough. I have come to Tamworth, obesity central. This

is not just home to the fattest people in England, but Europe. 30%

of people here are now classed as obese. Come on, Tamworth, it does

I want to make sure I get about three 1/2 stone off. I went on a

diet for Highland hospital because I was having a stomach operation

and I lost two Stones in two months. I was naughty, I started eating

chocolate and cream cakes. I put Freestone back on in two years.

I run out or becomes in Walsall. Quite a few people seem to come

along as a last resort -- I run out or boot camps. Tracy in her late

thirties and forties, she has been piling on the pounds despite

efforts. This is probably the hardest thing I have ever done! I

didn't realise how unfit I am. Oh, dear God. I think he is trained to

kill me. Then there's her husband, Brian. He

claims he was always 17 stone are now his size is beginning to tell.

Find getting older, I want to be fitter. I want to be able to play

with the grand kids rather than dying. I am finally, 22 stone at

Tom. He likes his beer and his nights out and although he says he

does not eat rubbish, he likes to feel full after a meal - and that

means big portion sizes. I am rarely worn out. I can't breathe. I

know it is a common use of it but I have got asthma. I try it to

breathe in and out as much as I can. It is still retiring. I have tried

every other kind of dieting and exercise in. I went to a gym for

about a year, did not get any great results and I thought it was

basically down to me being... If I need somebody to give me the cake

when I am left to my own accord, I sometimes give up and move to

Our three guinea pigs are going to give video diaries and we will see

how they try to cut at Luton, sugar and alcohol and coming to boot camp

at least three times a week, whatever the weather, and all this

just before Christmas. I must admit that I hurt so badly now. Really,

really badly. I am walking like I have got two broken legs. It is the

most ridiculous thing I have ever done. I am a 43-year-old

grandmother for goodness sake. Why can't I just be content with

knitting? Is it is hard, I will not lie to you. Not eating what you

want when you want, it does not sound like a very harsh thing that

it is when you have not had anything that you like for six

weeks. While they were doing that, I went to find out why people in

the Midlands are so fat. The experts say we are still eating as

if we are working in heavy industry but we are not burning those sort

of calories. Being poor does not help, we want cheap, quick hit

calories. People are consuming foods which are -- and are simply

not exercising enough to burn it off. What they are looking for day-

to-day is the calories to keep them going and it does mean that people

eat high-fat foods and food for comfort and foods that are cheap.

People are not thinking about an extra few years of life later on,

they actually thinking about the day-to-day existence. Being out of

work is certainly a factor for people who have become serial

dieters. The Cambridge Diet worked for a while. And I have done weight

Watchers, but with that, you think you can ate this chocolate and then

you go on to more chocolate so it did not really work for me. And

then there's more, just cutting down. But because I am not working

and I am bored, it is like I will sit and watch television and the

I was hoping it would get easier and it is not. I am really enjoying

it. I can see results. I have lost 9lb now. It is a killer! He is

constantly killing me. Shake it off. That it has been a bit of a mixed

bag. The first week was really hard. I can see how it is so easy for

them to give up in the first week. But I think the second week, I have

had more feedback from people saying you are full of energy,

getting up earlier, getting to sleep earlier on that night. My

diet is good, I am not moping around the place, I am up and doing

stuff during the day instead of just moping around. My girlfriend

says she can notice something off my belly. OK, but come worked for

you. If you turned up and you can afford it. -- boot camp worked for

you. But most experts believe that the economic crisis is going to

make the Midlands' statistics even worse. A babysitter levels are

likely to increase. -- obesity levels. As people are having to cut

budgets even more, cheaper and more processed foods are likely to be

even more prominent and so I predict that people will get fatter

and less healthy. And the already high rates of obesity will increase.

But people like Tom and Tracy and Brian are proving that you can turn

things around. Throw away the jogging pants because nothing else

fit. Make this year the year that wind put some of the parts of

Europe into the headlines for the good reasons.

I will go back next Monday and I will start again and I will get the

weight off and I will be fit and healthy. To me, that is far more

important than being slim. My dad died when he was 42, a massive

heart attack, he ate and drank too much and smoked too much. I do not

want to be like that. I felt loads better. Physically better, mentally,

and a couple of weeks off over Christmas, I slipped a bit but it

is not as hard tonight as it was the first time I came. Loans easier.

I can get to the top of the stairs without getting out of breath which

is great. But you know what? Boot camp is not for everybody but

gentle exercise will make a different. Check with your GP

before you do anything too vigorous. And if you're looking for some

inspiration to lose weight or get fit, you can find us on Facebook.

You can also post your own comments and tapes and catch up on the video

diaries of Tracy and Tom as we continue to follow their progress.

I was tempted to pick a piece and say, "so be it". I have eaten a

sausage roll but part of May went don't, because if you have one, you

will have another. Last week, the Government decided to press ahead

with the high-speed rail link between London and the West

Midlands. While there was celebration in some quarters, for

some most affected and likely to lose their homes, it was very

This land has been farmed by this family for a century. But that

could be about to change. Somewhere, Robert's future is being redrawn by

a man he has never met, a man with a map. It is the morning of the

Government's decision on HS2, the high-speed rail link between London

and Birmingham. And Robert's Farm is right in the firing line. He and

his wife, Jane, had invited me to join them as they await the

decision. We are just a few minutes away from

the announcement, how are you feeling? I guess so much has been

leaked about what the announcement will be, we are dreading the worst.

We are still waiting to see what happens and what the announcement

is. This is the way we find out, on television. No contact from the

Government to us officially. This is it, this is the announcement.

Full speed ahead, a new fast rail line between London and the

Midlands and eventually the North of England. As expected, HS2 get

the go-ahead. It makes you wonder what the point of the consultation

is, when they are totally had their minds to do it. We can look forward

to possibly four years in this house and that is it. But suddenly

Robert hears the news is even worse than he was expecting. There have

been some last minute changes to the route, no longer does it plough

through the couple's home but through all of their other

buildings including those rented by local businesses. It is not just

going through our house and the edge of the properties but straight

through all the farm, all the offices, all the businesses. So

once all of our tenants see this, they will be on to us and realise

that their time on our Farm is over if this all goes ahead. It has now

impacted on around 40 people who work here. I just feel numb. I

can't believe we have just found this out. Again, on the Web.

And many others are in a similar position. I am on my way to meet a

group of people determined to stop HS2 going ahead. And I know I am in

the right place when I discover their campaign mascot - a big white

elephant. It is just after 3 o'clock now so

people living on the HS2 route, including those here in Kenilworth,

will have had a few hours to think about the announcement this morning.

What they after now is detail and I am hoping to get that from the

Transport Secretary. We are ready for a new chapter in Britain's

transport history, one designed to boost our economy and our country

just as the first coming of the railways or the motorways did for

previous generations. That is why I have given the green light to HS2.

It is deeply disappointing but at least we now know where we are.

failed to understand the logic of what he is saying. But we have

heard it all before and the fight starts here. Off-course, where

there are losers, there are also winners. Many politicians and

business leaders are overjoyed that high-speed rail is on its way to

the West Midlands. High-speed rail can put down 22,000

jobs for this region. It is great news for the region and the people

of the region. It will bring investment and thousands of jobs.

This is a major announcement, underpinning Birmingham's relevance

as a major city. This is not the story of the rights

and wrongs of a chest to, instead, now it has been approved, I want to

see what it will mean for those living along the route. Some are

digging in for a lengthy fight. This is the leader of Warwick

District Council and he shows me where the line will cut through

this village. Even now he believes he can stop it.

We might have to take legal action. We hope not and that sense prevails

but that is likely we will have to spend money in the courts to stop

this fiasco. We will do that. How can you say that people who are

paying their council tax want that money stopping projects like this

rather than improving their quality of lives?

I speak to the people in the villages and nobody is saying, do

not do that. When we had a vote of the full council, the whole council

voted for us. I believe that is the way we will go.

Can a legal challenge really make a difference? It did not here.

The construction of this toll road was the last major infrastructure

project in the West Midlands. For more than a decade, protesters

fought against it. In the courts, a public inquiry and drew direct

action, tongue -- tunnelling under properties to try to stop them

being demolished. It delayed the project but did not stop it. This

woman was among the campaigners that lost out. The cottage she grew

up and suddenly had a new neighbour. A 14 lane superhighway. Ten years

on what advice does she have for those fighting High Speed Two?

What are you hoping to get out of this meeting? To learn about

compensation and how easy or difficult it is to get access to

compensation. We have heard many bad -- many bad reports of dealing

with the Department of Transport. To begin with, and described what

it was like before the road was built? We looked out onto a field

with horses, and now we have 14 lanes of motorway. You can hear the

traffic. She may have lost her fight but

Robert and Jane are keen to learn what they can. What do we have to

expect in the next few years? Adie, I am afraid. My advice to you

is, try to get out. It is as simple as that because it takes a chunk of

your life. All the things that happened to us, it was not a happy

experience. For example, we did not know they would be working at night.

We had terrible problems with vibration that made us very ill.

The mad, you are just living in squalor. Did they give you the

option of moving out and buying the house? Yes, we looked at that and

thought it was a possibility. But what we were offered, we have a

nice country cottage and an acre of land, and we could not have got a

semi-detached house in the village with that money.

The compensation to four years to come through. There are laws

governing how much people should receive and the government has

promised to go on and above those for people affected by high speed

to. But the details will not be announced until the spring.

yourself dedicated on what it will be and do not be afraid. Be firm

and strong. If it is wrong, do not set time, you have to fight. What

do you think about what she had to say? Very scary and 1am. The

timescales, particularly about all of the problems while it was

constructed with the noise and dust and fumes. Are we learned a lot.

was also interesting how she advised us just to sell up and get

out because of everything that goes on with construction. We have to

think of that as well. We were thinking perhaps we could stay and

work around it and fight for compensation, but it is worth

thinking about the advice she gave Tied to their land by the legacy of

100 years of family farming, they will find it hard to leave.

For our final story, we travel back in time to 2008 as Phil Upton

discovers what happened to a group of youngsters who featured back

then, who were hoping to make a career in football.

In 2008 we met three young budding footballers from the academies of

West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa. They all dreamed of becoming

an international football star. become a West Bromwich Albion

first-team players and hopefully England as well. Football is

basically my life. Tonight we catch up with the boys as they take the

next step towards that team. There will be setbacks, whether that his

injury are net getting in the team, and you have to cope with that

because it is a tough profession. And we look at the science behind

sporting success. While they have physical and technical training,

the mental side will actually allow them to be successful. Thousands of

boys will sign up to elite football academies like this. But only a

handful ever progress. Adil Nabi, Ryan Allsop, and Gary

Gardner all started out just like these youngsters, where the

emphasis is on fun and development. In the early years, technique is

important and intelligence. Development will not take place

without intelligence. And personality. At junior level,

things get more competitive and this is where football start to get

serious. Ultimately as an Academy we are

judged on the number of players we develop to go in and around the

first team. Beyond that, our objective is to maximise the boys''

potential of on and off the pitch. By the time they finish school,

only a handful of the players have awarded a scholarship. It is a long

and competitive wrote. Not everyone will make it.

But Adil Nabi has made it and last year, he started his first

professional contract. Getting a scholarship was my target

and my dream, since I started at the age of six or seven and to get

a professional contract as well was the icing on the cake.

But he takes nothing for granted. I think there are only two flat

with me now that had been with since nine or ten years old. -- two

Lad. It is the dream start that every

player wishes for and Adil Nabi is one of the lucky few because it

does not work out this way for everyone.

Around 80% of these players will never make the grade. Players like

jazz Mulhall and who was released by West Bromwich Albion.

I remember the day we were released. We trained in the morning and at

lunchtime the coaches came in and said we wanted to talk about our

futures, and I still remember not being able to eat anything and when

I got home, I'd head home, and I sat down in the living room and I

said to myself, even though I was expecting it, today is the day I

have been released, and it was not a nice night. In spite of this, he

is determined to continue with a career in football.

You have to be realistic about these things. That is one clubs'

opinion and does not mean to say I cannot come back in three, four of

even five years time, playing the professional game.

He has gone to see this doctor to see if the signs of the sport can

help him improve his game. We know that certain psychological

characteristics and qualities such as being more confident, more

mentally tough, and motivation and attentional focus, there is

certainly a list of qualities that help to explain why some athletes

might be more successful than others.

What do you think would be one area you could focus on for improvement?

As a defender, making good tackles. What are these strategies, one of

those is imaginary. Using your mind's eye to see and feel

different experiences related to football. How often should I use

these techniques? Daily, weekly, hourly? You need to think about the

mental side as much as you approach the physical side. I would

encourage you to treat it as much as you do physical practice, and

build it in as consistent away as you can.

The success of these players is not just about how good they are with

their feet but how well they used their mind.

The mental skills they can use to manage pressure and get the most

from training can also be used to help them refocus and stay pop --

stay positive when they might be experiencing new types of setback.

Brian has also suffered a setback. When his contract came to an end,

he was released. It was a bit of a shock. They pulled me into the

office and told me I was not getting another contract. Obviously,

I was devastated. In hindsight, you are fighting for each other's spot.

You are fighting against your mates which is the hard thing about it.

But fortunately for him, championship side Millwall quickly

snapped them up. As a goalkeeper, there are even fewer opportunities

making the process of breaking into the game even tougher. It is it up

at and four goalkeepers it often happens later than outfield players.

You can get into your '30s and then play your best football.

Ryan knows how good -- lucky he is to get a second chance.

Millwall have given me a chance to come and impress here and try to do

my best and that is all I can do. Setbacks like this are part and

parcel of football. When players are starting out and trying to

prove themselves. But even players with the brightest prospects can

struggle, especially when faced with serious injury.

In my second year I had a bad injury. A ruptured at interior

cruciate ligament, and I knew other players had that before and I

thought it would never happen to me and it was hard. I could not

explain how hard it was. I would have days when I would go home and

even cry. Injuries like this can affect

players at any time during their Khadija but he had barely started.

Piece of the injury as a setback but we also saw that as an

opportunity for him to get stronger and technically better than he has

come out of it a better player. Aston Villa have gone on to sign

him and he took part in a magnificent debut.

I feel brand new. 12 months' rest. Despite the setbacks, the three

inspired -- aspiring footballers that we met in 2,000 Band Aid have

all taken the next step towards their dream. -- 2008.

Their strength of character and resilience will be more important

than ever before. You have to realise what has to be

done to make it in the game otherwise it will just pass you by.

They must now try to forge a career as a professional footballer.

still have a lot to learn and hopefully I can learn that training

with the first team. If from now on, these guys will be

playing alongside and competing against the best footballers in the

country. It is a matter of taking some of

that experience on while I wait for my opportunity, but then again

trying to take their position as well.

Late Kick Off is back tonight at 11:05pm. We will be looking at what

is happening for Coventry City, as the club appears to be in freefall.

That is all from me tonight. By May next Monday if you can.

Next week, pregnant and desperate. We need one tenants living in