Britain is the most obese nation in Europe, and we’re continuing to pile on the pounds. Many of us believe it’s not our fault, choosing to blame our genes, age or metabolism. Others find their weight gain a complete mystery. This investigation examines the excuses we make for our increased girth and debunks the myths that mask our calorie consumption. Journalist Jane Moore examines how much food we’re really eating and puts the spotlight on the food industry to reveal what effect our increased dining-out habit is having on our health.

She takes a group of children undercover to find out just how much fat is on the menu for kids in Britain’s favourite family restaurants. Moore meets a family who insist that despite eating healthily and exercising they seem unable to shift their excess weight. With the help of a fridge-cam and a little secret surveillance, Dispatches attempts to unearth the root cause of their problem.

The programme also features a company boss who insists his genes make him fat and the belly-dancer who cannot shake the idea that her metabolism is to blame for her weight gain. This is the second of two Dispatches programmes in The Big Food Fight , a season of programming which aims to raise awareness and encourage debate about food production, animal welfare and healthy eating.

Thursday 17th January, 9PM, Channel 4