THE Diary was interested to read in an article in the national press claiming that a diner would need to walk 9 miles to burn off the calories of a Big Mac Meal.

In the past few days we have been trying out a new health gizmo - courtesy of McDonald's.

It is the fast food chain's version of the Stepometer, the little gadget fuelling a new health fad. You clip it to your waistband and it calculates how many steps you take.

Everyone who buys a 295-calorie Go Active Meal from McDonald's, launched to celebrate the wholly reasonable fact that the burger bar is an official sponsor of the Olympic Games, gets a Stepometer.

To reach optimum fitness levels you are supposed to take 10,000 steps a day. This should not be too difficult. Every time you shift in your seat, the McDonald's Stepometer adds a few to the total. Fidgety coach potatoes eating a portion of chips and a McFlurry would probably clock up a few hundred steps without leaving their seat.

Add on a few trips to the fridge and the off-licence and, hey presto, you are virtually a triathlete.

Big Mac fans are even catered for in the Stepometer instructions. "Make sure the Stepometer is worn on your waistband in line with the front centre of your leg and is not located on the side or tilted," they explain.

"If you have a large stomach, try placing the Stepometer on the side of your hip."

REMEMBER the flag frenzy during Euro 2004? You will need to think back to the carefree time before the Football Association imploded over a sec's story.

In balmy June, every other car flew a St George's Flag, at least until David Beckham launched his Portugal penalty into orbit.

On the back of this, Richard Leigh Perkins wants to run an idea up the flagpole and see who salutes.

The retired major from Lastingham writes: "Can I suggest you promote the idea, well in advance for 2005, of some company having the initiative to produce Yorkshire flags of the size which galvanised public interest prior to the Portuguese football extravaganza?

"Nowhere did I see leading up to Yorkshire Day any cars displaying Yorkshire flags equivalent in size to the George Cross flags seen everywhere recently which made such an impact.

"Presumably this is because no company had the initiative even to produce a pilot scheme." Any proud Yorkshire entrepreneurs out there?

MORE on the fight by satellite television viewers to receive local news from Yorkshire TV rather than Tyne Tees.

Calendar fans are offered a potential solution. Stewart McCartney emails in reply to York businessman Andrew Clark's reported dismay at losing the service.

"If he tries the higher channel numbers on his satellite system (in the 900s, just after the radio channels), every single local BBC station is listed, including both parts of the split from Leeds i.e. West and South Yorkshire, and East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

"In fact if he wanted to, he could watch the local news from Cornwall or the Highlands! If this helps him out, can he spare a thought for a York exile now living in Dewsbury, but having to work in London throughout the week, and without the luxury of Sky?

The only way I can keep up with local news is via the excellent daily update of the Evening Press that I have sent to me via the Internet.

"Keep it up guys!" Aw shucks, Stewart. Information from another source gives a website for channel information: www.digitalspy.co.uk/satellite/transponder

Happy watching!

Updated: 09:22 Wednesday, August 04, 2004