One of the country's slimming industry heavyweights is making deals with primary care trusts to send overweight patients to classes, it emerged today.

Weight Watchers has confirmed it has set up an agreement with a "handful" of PCTs and GP surgeries on a trial basis to accept referred patients on a reduced fee.

The partnerships anticipates one of the recommendations widely expected from the House of Commons health select committee when it reports next year on the obesity problem facing the UK.

The scrutinising committee is considering whether to back NHS-funded referrals to slimming clubs as a cheaper alternative to obesity drugs or surgery.

The move is likely to be backed by doctors and dieticians in the light of a growing UK obesity epidemic, in which more than one in five men and women in England are classified as obese.

MPs heard yesterday from Weight Watchers nutritionist and dietician, Paula Hunt, that the company is keen to develop more deals with the NHS.

Under the scheme, patients referred by their doctor are exempt from the £9 membership fee and are charged a reduced weekly rate of £4, compared to the standard £4.75.

Weight Watchers works on a "points" system, based on calories and saturated fats, and encourages the most overweight members to aim for a 10% weight loss in the first instance.

Members who reach their target weight can continue to attend one of the 6,000 classes run each week across the UK for free, as long as they don't exceed a five pound weight gain.

Islington PCT, one of several trusts to refer overweight patients at its Goodinge health centre to Weight Watchers, was unable to confirm whether it funded the classes on patients' behalf.

A Weight Watchers spokeswoman said: "We are just exploring how best we can work with NHS GPs. It is up to the PCT or GP who pays."