Biggest Loser town is home to skinny property prices

IT'S home to Australia's fattest folk and has some of the nation's smallest property prices, so would you live in a town of tubbies just to bag a bargain?

Super size: This grand four-bedroom house at 48 Vincent St, Ararat has a hefty asking price of $459,000.

IT'S home to Australia's fattest folk and has some of the nation's smallest property prices, so would you live in a town of tubbies just to bag a bargain?

Almost 60 per cent of the people living in the Victoria's Ararat are obese, and making it a town of inequity, their postcode has super slim house prices.

Unkindly knicknamed "Fatarat" since the dubious title was given to the town, Ararat is about to be thrust into the national spotlight when The Biggest Loser Challenge Australia series premieres on Sunday night.

Up to 500 Ararat residents are being recruited to shed kilos and improve their health in front of TV cameras, with about 20 residents to feature more prominently on the Channel 10 show.

The community shape-up will put the entire town under the microscope after national figures revealed it holds the unenviable title of being one of Australia's unhealthiest postcodes.

Ararat, which earned its heavy crown after the 2011 Census showed 59.2 per cent cent of the 8076 strong population are officially obese, is 200km north west of Melbourne.

But Ararat has plenty to boast about on the property front for home hunters. The town's house price median is just $175,000, while Melbourne's is a much larger $500,000 according to RP Data. The current national median house price is $494,865 for the 12 months to October 2013.

Big ticket item: This four-bedroom home in Ararat is on the market for $375,000.

The town has 191 properties for sale on realestate.com.au with prices ranging from $29,990 for a block of land up to $890,000 for a block of eight units.

The township was founded in 1857 when gold prospectors were on their way to the Ballarat goldfields, and there are many Victorian homes in Ararat on big blocks for less than the price of an inner-city apartment.

Slim house prices: This run down two-bedroom cottage in Ararat is $119,000.

According to the Ararat City Council website, just 10 per cent of Ararat residents spend a third of their gross household income on rent, or mortgage repayments making it one of the most affordable areas in Victoria.

The council is also selling itself as a region of opportunity, calling for a host of professionals in the area.

Double take: This period home in Ararat has been converted into two units and is on the market for $199,000.

The town is looking for tradies, heath industry workers including nurses and midwives, town planners, agriculture workers, hospitality employees and retail staff.

Super size: This four-bedroom house in Ararat has an asking price of $459,000.