To be honest, I dismissed the apparent fitness craze in Ararat as nothing more than a TV fad, doomed before it had even begun.

It only took 10 minutes in the town to realise I was severely wrong.

The city has now been put up on a pedestal for the nation to watch and judge.

Ararat has taken on board the insults levelled at them by some people, and the residents have used them as inspiration to change their lives for the better.

The people of the town left me in no doubt a fair majority were not only converted to a fitness-friendly lifestyle, but they are showing every sign of continuing long after the TV crews have packed up.

Of all the residents I managed to stop on the street and in the shops to have a quick chat with, not one queried the impact the show had on changing the attitudes of the town.

The effects are obvious to them.

Residents are out walking every morning and night, and local milk bars are stocking salads as a standard menu item.

However, the issue is far great than one regional city. The Ararat Rural City Council has made it a priority to solve the problems that are affecting the city.

Hopefully other regional cities follow suit.