According to the council, about 70,000 people in Stoke-on-Trent are classed as obese, with the local NHS spending £50 million a year on weight-related illness.
To combat this, they have decided to send text messages to overweight people in a bid to encourage them to lose weight.
"Our programme means people who already want to lose weight and have signed up with us to get support will receive a cheap and effective nudge to help keep them motivated"
The text campaign - which will cost the council £10,000 to run - will include handy bite size tips, such as "use the stairs more" and "keep a check on snacks and drinks".
Cabinet member for health Adrian Knapper said to BBC News: "On average it costs the same amount [£10,000] to perform just one intervention operation to help people manage their weight.
"Our programme means people who already want to lose weight and have signed up with us to get support will receive a cheap and effective nudge to help keep them motivated."
A council spokeswoman added: "This is all about getting people on board and taking action before they need medical support, which is so expensive and personally upsetting.
"This saves both money and suffering."
Do you think Stoke-on-Trent's text message scheme will help in the battle against obesity? Let us know via the Comments Box below.