INSPIRED by the London Olympics, a mother-of-two is on a one-woman mission to make the county's fattest and laziest do some exercise.
A quarter of adults in Essex are obese and the NHS has made tackling the epidemic a priority.
In September, Susan Yardley, 45, a child-minder, set up Unfit to Fitness – an Army-style boot camp targeted at the region's least active.
So far 40 people have signed up to the gruelling regime, which involves military drills, heavy lifting and boxing as much as three times a week.
"If you can run more than a mile then this camp is not for you," said Susan, from Felsted.
Susan was inspired to get fit by this summer's Olympic Games and, after shedding "a few stone" – she won't say how many – she decided to help the county's most inactive.
According to the latest report by the Essex Wellbeing board, obesity is on the rise in the county.
"There is a rising rate in obesity with a corresponding high level of physical inactivity in Essex, with fewer women taking part in physical activity," read the October report.
Statistics collected by the Department of Health reveal that one in four people in Essex are obese.
"Overweight people can feel pretty intimidated by gyms, where everyone else is fit," said Susan.
"Boot camp is for people who are really unfit – fat or thin. We have some skinny ladies and they are just as unfit as some of the larger ones.
"It's a stepping stone to get them out and moving. I just want them to get fit and get active."
The group meet at Rayne Villge Hall and are put through their paces by ex-soldier Douglas.
Before starting the boot camp, Susan helped her friend Nikki Rains, a mother-of-three, who weighed 23 stones and was diagnosed with high blood pressure and diabetes.
Nikki has lost eight stone this year and has gone from a dress size 30 to sixteen.
"I was eating myself into an early grave," said 35-year-old Nikki, from Braintree.
"I had to pull myself up the stairs and getting the kids dressed was so much of a workout I needed to sit in front of a fan to cool down. My husband was half my size and I was as wide as all three of my boys."
But she decided to get fit and looked to her friend Susan for help.
"It's really hard to start off with but I'm a different person now.
"I know I'm not going to get fit overnight but I've got to stick with it," added Nikki, who exercises with Susan four times a week.
Sam Cox, 35, from Braintree, who works for health adviser NHS Direct, joined the group in October and after just eight weeks she dropped a dress size.
"I have always had an issue with my weight and like anyone in my position have tried numerous forms of exercise to help me.
"I found gyms intimidating, and exercise groups made me feel that I was being left behind. I was not able to keep up with the rest of the group which really shattered my self-confidence.
"But Susan, who immediately put me at ease, reassured me that she had once been in my position and understood my fears and anxieties about joining the group.
"I went along for my first session on the launch night and took a friend with me for support. I was very nervous and even getting out the car I was having second thoughts but as soon as I walked through the door I felt welcome and knew I had done the right thing.
"During our sessions we complete interval training which means doing short sharp bursts of exercise to raise the heartbeat and burned maximum calories. I even started to enjoy exercise which has never been the case."
Such has been the success, that a group from Unfit to Fitness took part in the Santa Run, a two kilometre dash through the streets of Braintree.
"My plan was to walk part and jog part but I managed to jog the whole route, which I would have never contemplated before.
"We started the run as a group and finished as a group. Tears of joy flowed coming across the finishing line as I honestly didn't think I would jog the whole course."
Search 'Unfit To Fitness Bootcamp' on Facebook.