A new help group is being set up in Watford to help people with overeating problems.

The new group will be launched by the charity Beat in February and will meet at 6.30pm on the third Wednesday of every month at Centrepoint Community Centre, Raphael Drive, Radlett Road.

Funded by the Department of Health, the groups, facilitated by trained Beat volunteers, aims to provide an "open and non-judgemental space" for peer support between adults who either binge eat, compulsively overeat, feel they have emotional eating issues or are overweight, obese or struggling with their weight.

The groups enable people to share problems, thoughts and successes; meet other people in similar situations; discuss their experiences in a safe, confidential and stigma-free environment and gain information about resources and services. The groups are free and no medical referral or weigh-in will be required.

Colin H who attends a Beat group said: "The Beat Emotional Overeating support group I attend offers a safe and supportive environment in which to meet other people facing similar challenges to myself.

"For all of us, it is the beginning of a journey as we seek to understand the reasons that lead us to eat to feed an emotion rather than a genuine hunger.

"For me, this kind of change can only come as part of a group. The contributions of the other members are invaluable to me as we share ideas for positively changing habituated behaviours.

"Although I don't yet know how I will beat this, I suspect the process of overcoming this will be a long process; one where other people are able to 'see' my situation clearer than I can myself and involve incentivising change in small achievable steps, rather than through big sweeping changes or will power".

For further information on the groups email: eosg@b-eat.co.uk or call 01603 753307 or 753315.